No real holiday plans this year, so found myself wondering if the Bayeux tapestry is worth the visit. Thinking driving down to Poole via maybe Bath and anywhere else interesting en route, foot ferry to Cherbourg, then bus or train to Bayeux for a day, same ferry back to Poole then a different route back to Beyond The Wall. Is the tapestry worth it?

As a spotty 13 year old on a school trip, I wasn’t that bothered.

Would probably be interested now.

I wouldn’t make a trip. S’alright, but if you went to school you’ve seen it already. It’s kind of exactly like it is in the pictures. It’s not one of those things that blows you away in real life.

yeah but no. It’s awright but not amazing. You get an audio guide in english to bring it to life and there’s a bit of muesum with some dummies in costume and some bits and bobs. I remember the town being very nice and there’s the catherdral as well where the tapestry originally hung to visit nearby. Obvs also nearby is the DD beaches of Normandy with the US muesum and the beaches to visit, too much perspective. Cherbourg itself is also very nice and the muesum is cool where the titanic stopped and you can go on an actual submarine,

Yes also plenty of other stuff around the town to visit – and lots more around the Cotentin Peninsula.

Cherbourg itself is also very nice

Really? Didn’t like the town much when I stayed there one night so went off to Barfleur which is lovely.

SPOILER ALERT

There is a Victorian copy in Reading Museum. Reading Museum is also famous for its collection of Huntley and Palmer biscuit tins.

Saw it on a school trip as a kid, it’s an old tapestry. I can appreciate it’s significance but it’s never going to have me rushing back to see it again. You may be more interested and if you do go would yo bring me back some bangers and a flick knife please 🙂

I’m not sure I’d make a special trip to see it but Northern France as a whole is well worth a visit.

I’ve seen it once, actually on an MBUK trip to France, with Rob Warner.

Rob was extremely excited about seeing it and turned out to be surprisingly knowledgeable about history surrounding it.

it’s not even a tapestry.

/pedant.

I found it very interesting but have never understood why its not call the Bayeaux Embroidery. Whats happening in the top and bottom borders is as interesting as the main story.

It’s mandatory to do on a school trip or be dragged by parents on a holiday to.

We quite enjoyed it with the audio description, just like a medieval graphic novel. It fair sweeps through it though, so I went back round to have a better look at the detail.

We drove down the road to Arramanches the same day (of mullberry harbour fame) for ice creams and a decent beach.

**** Europeans coming over here killing our kings…

if you’re already in the area its worth a trip. what your proposing seems a lot of effort just to see it. if you can hire a car at Cherbourg and drive around all the D-day stuff then id say absolutely because the entire are is amazing but just for the tapestry id say not worth it.

That street fighter meme up there made me giggle.

**** Europeans coming over here killing our kings…

They won by 52 arrows in the eye to 48.

plus1 for seeing the copy in Reading museum, no need to watch out for flying arrows just Reading buses 😯

+1 for seeing the Normandy beaches and surrounds, that would make it well worth the trip.

But just an old carpet? It’s OK, but not that exciting.

It’s not one of those things that blows you away in real life

Unlike coke and hookers.

Didn’t a school kid in the 80’s realise the images directly correlate with the written verbs underneath, and that Harold isn’t in fact the dude with an arrow in his eye?

I used to go see it, but then I took an arrow to the knee.

Didn’t a school kid in the 80’s realise the images directly correlate with the written verbs underneath, and that Harold isn’t in fact the dude with an arrow in his eye?

From what I understood from school, it was the guy to the left of him falling down that was Harold as he was holding a mace and only royals could hold a mace.

Worth a visit if you are there, but not a trip just to see it.

The rest of the city is lovely to explore, and the whole Normandy D-Day museum area is fascinating if you’ve not been before.

I visited last month and really enjoyed it. Bayeux (the town) is beautiful too. In fact, that whole region is pretty stunning.

Get to the Normandy beaches, St Malo, Dinard and Dinan.

I’d probably avoid Mont Saint Michel though. It’s like Euro Disney without rides, but with an extra helping of surly, Parisien-style waiters and shopkeepers.

Got dragged around as a schoolkid. I’d like to go and see it with Rob Warner, just for the commentary. Perhaps he should record an audio tour for bored Brits?

Ha ha ha got to love the school trips to France, sitting on the bus shitting it case we got busted by police/customs with our stash of bangers and knives on way back 😀

I’d probably avoid Mont Saint Michel though. It’s like Euro Disney without rides, but with an extra helping of surly, Parisien-style waiters and shopkeepers.

It’s an amazing place!

yeah I loved Mont Saint Michel, fascinating. Don’t pay to go into the 3 part ‘muesum’ though as it’s rubbish and the dialogue is all in french. We found a great little cafe just a little way up the first street, on the left as you go up, and you went upstairs and all the fittings were dark woood. We sat and had waffles and coffee and watched all the tourists down below.

Go to Cancal along the coast towards St Malo – great white wine and sea food. St M worth a visit and D Day beaches of course.

Got dragged around as a schoolkid. I’d like to go and see it with Rob Warner, just for the commentary.

“Stay your horse Harold”

and the dialogue is all in french

Thats the trouble with Abroad – its full of foreigners. 🙂

I saw it on a school trip and was then, and until recently, utterly indifferent.

However a few months back I watched a BBC prog about weapons and they explained how interesting it was in terms of a littoral depiction not only of weopons and how they were used but also of battle injuries. It’s pretty obvious it would be really but I’d never thought of it like that and would love to go back andcreally look at it.

I’d also like to visit the d-day beaches again.

It’s not a tapestry anyway. It’s an embroidery 🙂

Ok so in summary, worth it if you’re in the area but maybe not otherwise?
Where I probably couldn’t tell the difference between the real thing and the copy in Reading, if I’m going to make the effort, I’d rather see the real thing.
Anyway, I’ll bookmark the thread and re-read it again later

Thanks

You can go to see the tapestry and Pegasus Bridge on the same day, markers arguably of two of the single most important days in the history of this country in the last thousand years. Why wouldn’t you want to do that.

Is this out yet?

http://pegasusbridgethemovie.com/