Norman Exeter on display as part of national celebration as Bayeux Tapestry returns to England
Exeter's RAMM is highlighting Devon's Norman artefacts
Last updated 17th Sep 2026
Exeter's RAMM is now displaying objects from the collection connected to the Bayeux Tapestry and Norman Exeter.
It's one of 60 partner organisations across the country telling the story of the tapestry and the history surrounding the Norman invasion as the 70-metre-long masterpiece returns to England for the first time in almost 1,000 years.
A spokesperson for Exeter City Council's Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery said it is supporting the 'Bayeux Around Britain’](https://www.britishmuseum.org/our-work/national/bayeux-around-britain)’) programme because: "Exeter has strong historical ties with France, and archaeological finds from the city tell parallel stories of the Norman invasion to those in the tapestry.
"The Bayeux Around Britain display in RAMM will show a selection of those finds. The main characters from the tapestry, Edward the Confessor, Harold II and William I, are depicted on coins minted in Exeter from the period.
"The pottery excavated from Exeter shows both Saxon and Norman types, and examples of pots made by a French potter who lived in Exeter before the Norman Conquest. The display also includes fragments of the new architecture that the Normans brought with them."
The original tapestry is an embroidery, in wool thread on linen cloth, created in the UK in the 11th century. Through 58 scenes, 626 characters and 202 horses, the tapestry gives an account of the medieval period in Normandy and England and provides information about civil and military architecture, armour and seafaring in the Viking tradition, as well as precious details of everyday life.
The Exeter RAMM is also hosting an in-person talk on Thursday 15 April 2027 by Michael Lewis, Lead Curator of the British Museum’s Bayeux Tapestry exhibition.