The British Museum has introduced a series of changes to its Bayeux Tapestry exhibition following widespread visitor frustration over lengthy queues, abrupt gallery closures, and a discrimination claim. The measures, announced on 4 October, include an audio guide, clearer signage, additional seating, and extended opening hours, according to a museum spokesperson.
Queue chaos and turnaways prompt action
Last week, visitors who had paid £50 per ticket were turned away halfway through the queue after being told the gallery was closing abruptly. The museum also banned photography inside the exhibition to speed up visitor flow, after people stopping to photograph the artwork delayed others' access.
The woven record of the Norman Conquest returned to the UK for the first time in almost 1,000 years, going on display at the London museum on September 10. The exhibition has drawn enormous crowds, but the queues outside have become a major issue.
New measures to improve visitor experience
A British Museum spokesperson said yesterday: “The response to the Bayeux Tapestry has been extraordinary, and we are delighted by the excitement and interest it has generated. We also know that some visitors have faced longer queues than we would have wanted, so we are introducing a series of measures – including an audio guide, clearer signage, additional seating and longer opening hours – to make the experience smoother and give more people the time they need to enjoy the tapestry.”
From Monday, an audio guide will be available to help visitors experience the tapestry with extra detail, and more signage will explain the different parts of the exhibition. The museum will also extend opening hours to ease queues during the day and to space out allotted bookings, with additional seating added.
Refunds, priority booking, and record sales
The British Museum has offered refunds and a priority booking slot for a rearranged time for ticket-holders who have been turned away. Before the exhibition went on display, the museum said demand to see the “once-in-a-generation exhibition has already been unprecedented”.
When general admission tickets went on sale in July, the museum recorded the biggest day of ticket sales in its history, generating more than £2.4 million in the first 24 hours. Tickets are sold out until the next release on October 21. Adult tickets cost £33 during peak times and £27 at off-peak hours, while children under 16 can visit for free.
Discrimination claim and exhibition details
A blind man from Croydon is seeking damages after claiming he has been discriminated against by the museum over a lack of audio-described tours. The museum has not yet commented on this specific claim.
The tapestry usually costs 12 euros (£10) to see at the Bayeux Tapestry Museum in Bayeux, Normandy, and will return there when the museum reopens after renovation. The tapestry is considered to be one of the wonders of the medieval world and offers an insight into life in 11th century England before and after the conquest – from castles, warfare and ships to clothing, food and furniture. It was likely to have been commissioned by a Norman patron and made by English embroiderers, using manuscript drawings from Canterbury.
The Bayeux Tapestry is at the British Museum until July 11 next year.
