Bayeux Tapestry Exhibition

Matt Rodda Excerpts

Wednesday 25th February 2026 Commons Chamber

[Helena Dollimore]

The hon. Member is right that schoolchildren must be able to access the exhibition. They should not be put off by the price of a ticket to the exhibition or a train ticket—or even a flight in his case. It is really important. I speak as someone who went to local state schools and was lucky enough to go on and study history at university. Who knows who we could inspire by allowing schoolchildren to see the exhibition?

We want schoolchildren to see the exhibition, but we also want to encourage visitors to the exhibition in north London to take a further step back in time and visit 1066 country, the place where it all happened. I am urging many of our transport providers to make sure that we can make it easier for tourists to visit 1066 country during this important moment, and that includes urging Southeastern to look at how it can make it quicker for tourists to visit our area by train. This also extends to visitors from abroad, and that is why I have been campaigning to bring back international trains to Ashford International, to encourage our European neighbours across the channel to visit us in 1066 country and in Hastings and Rye, and to make that visit easier. Hopefully, this time they will be armed with buckets and spades rather than bows and arrows, and they will certainly receive a much warmer welcome than they did in 1066.

Not only is 1066 country rich in history, but it is rich in landscape, heritage and culture. We might be tucked away on the south coast, but we punch well above our weight in our visitor and tourist experience. From Hastings museum to Hastings castle, Hastings contemporary gallery, Rye heritage centre, Camber Sands, Rye harbour nature reserve, Hastings country park and many more, we have so much to offer people wanting to visit. With next year marking the 1,000th anniversary of the birth of William the Conqueror, we will celebrate this Year of the Normans with special events across Hastings, Rye and the villages.

I would like to see one of the many replicas of the Bayeux tapestry put on display in Hastings. I cannot think of any better place to be named the UK’s town of culture, which Hastings hopes to be named next year.

[Matt Rodda (Reading Central) (Lab)]

I commend my hon. Friend for her speech. She has spoken so eloquently about the importance of history and the role of the Normans in Sussex history—our own local history—but also in our country’s history. It has been a poignant speech, and I thank her for mentioning the copy at Reading museum, which was woven in Victorian times using similar stitches. The original tapestry was, in fact, made in England and then exported to Normandy. Perhaps she would ask some of her residents to come to Reading museum to look at the wider impact of the Norman conquest across the country. In fact, due to William the Conqueror’s son, we had a wonderful abbey built in Reading, and it led to the growth of our town. That story is echoed across many communities in this country.

[Helena Dollimore]

I thank my hon. Friend. Indeed, we have many replicas of the tapestry. There is the one he mentioned in Reading museum. There is also one that Hastings borough council has in storage, and I am urging it to take it out of storage and put it on show in time for the big moment later this year. I am also aware that the hon. Member for Bexhill and Battle (Dr Mullan) will speak later about another one that is under way.

As I have said, much of our area relies on the tourist economy, which supports one in five jobs in our region. We have a wealth of small, fantastic independent pubs, restaurants and hotels, which work exceptionally hard to give our visitors a warm welcome. This has to be a big moment for them, when they too feel the benefits. Although there may be other beautiful places in the UK that we compete with, this is a one-in-the-eye for them and our big chance to showcase everything that Hastings, Rye and the villages have to offer. The return of the Bayeux tapestry will be a national moment that belongs to the whole country, but it must have a special place for the people of 1066 country, where this story began.