Extraordinary medieval objects on display at Norwich Castle

Rare sculptures, reliquaries and other medieval masterpieces have gone on display at Norwich Castle to celebrate the Bayeux Tapestry coming to England and bringing the story of the Norman Conquest to life for the European Year of the Normans in 2027.

Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery announced a major programme of exhibitions and events as part of ‘Bayeux Around Britain, supported by WorldQuant’, a nationwide programme designed by the British Museum to share the story and significance of the Bayeux Tapestry with audiences across the UK and make it more accessible to young people.

Treasures of the Norman world: loans from the Wyvern Collection

14 October 2026 – 7 September 2027

From 14 October, the anniversary of the Battle of Hastings, visitors to Norwich Castle will be able to see 21 rare and extraordinary Norman objects from the Wyvern Collection, one of the world's most important collections of Medieval and Renaissance art. The new display, supported by the Norwich Freemen’s Charity, is in the Gallery of Medieval Life: A British Museum Partnership.

It explores remarkable artworks illustrating how the Norman Conquest transformed England, introducing a new king, a new language and new forms of art and architecture. The objects, which include both sacred and secular works from across Europe, date from the late 10th to the early 13th centuries. Many can be connected to items and designs depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry. An interactive screen in the Gallery allows visitors to delve into the story of the Tapestry, explore its famous scenes, and discover how the remarkable embroidery was made.

Among the highlights are the earliest known standing sculpture of the Virgin and Child, made in Germany at around the same time as the Battle of Hastings and a magnificently carved ivory hunting horn, known as an oliphant, made in Italy around the early 12th century. Also on show are gaming counters depicting both biblical and mythical scenes and a beautifully decorated silver-gilt English reliquary casket.

In the Bayeux Tapestry, King Harold is shown placing his hand on a similar reliquary while he swears an oath to Duke William; this was considered the most solemn and binding means of making a promise. The display includes a stunning gold, pearl and enamel brooch from Germany, dated around 1066 that would have been used to pin a cloak and is of a type worn by the noblemen shown in the Tapestry.

Other spectacular objects range from an Anglo-Saxon plaque depicting the crucifixion, produced in the years before the Norman Conquest - to exquisite vessels and candlesticks that would have graced medieval dining tables. The candlestick is cast as a kneeling man holding a large lily-like flower and the Tapestry shows a serving man kneeling in front of a dining table presenting a dish of food in the same pose.

Meet a Medieval Queen this half term

23 October – 1 November 2026

The programme continues throughout October half term, when visitors will be invited to step back in time and spend a day with the Normans at Norwich Castle. They will meet Adeliza of Louvain, Queen of England from 1121 to 1135, who will be joined by some of the dedicated volunteers who stitched the Norwich Friends' Tapestry, a beautiful 19-metre-long embroidery that tells the story of two rebellions in the East of England against William the Conqueror. Visitors are able to discover more about the volunteers’ work and the intricate stitching techniques they used to create it and even have a go at the Bayeux stitch themselves.

They will also be able to bring the Bayeux Tapestry to life by creating a giant communal artwork filled with medieval people, animals and scenes inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry and the Norwich Friends' Tapestry. The artwork will grow throughout the week as more contributions are added. There will also be the chance to explore Anglo-Saxon and Norman arms and armour, join Knight Club to learn and practise medieval fighting techniques, and follow a special trail uncovering rare and fascinating Norman objects.

Get up close with a plaster cast of details from the Bayeux Tapestry

12 November 2026 – 10 January 2027

From 12 November, Bayeux Around Britain: casting a masterpiece will come to Norwich Castle, featuring hand-painted plaster casts of three details from the Bayeux Tapestry. Rarely on public display, the casts will bring visitors tantalisingly close to the Tapestry, connecting them with the physicality of original embroidery and those who made it. Alongside the touring objects, several replicas have been made, allowing the host museum to engage with schools and communities in their area. The Spotlight Loan is part of ‘Bayeux Around Britain, supported by WorldQuant’, a nationwide programme designed by the British Museum to communicate the story and significance of the Bayeux Tapestry to as many people as possible.

For centuries, people have studied, copied and shared their own images and interpretations of the Tapestry – an extraordinary work of art that tells the dramatic story of the events leading up to, and including, the Norman invasion of England in 1066. In 1816, artist Charles Alfred Stothard was hired by London’s Society of Antiquaries to produce the first complete, colour drawings of the Tapestry, an enormous task.

Stothard also took moulds of the embroidery by applying wax directly to its surface, a method of reproduction that, in risking the preservation of the Tapestry, would not be considered today.  From these moulds he made a series of plaster casts, three of which were acquired as a group by the British Museum in 1878. Stothard’s three casts feature Harold Godwinson, king of England from January to October 1066, and Duke William of Normandy, who defeated Harold at the battle of Hastings and seized the English crown. The cast is taken from scene 46 of the Tapestry, in which William hears news of Harold’s whereabouts, scene 30, which shows Harold at his coronation, and scene 48, where William wears full armour and holds a spear.

A life-sized 3D printed replica of the Stothard Cast will allow people to touch and feel the fine impressions on the cast. Additionally, hand embroidered replicas of details from the Tapestry will allow visitors to see what the actual tapestry might feel like. Alongside these materials, learning resources and activities will create a wraparound educational experience wherever the spotlight loan travels.

Looking ahead to the Year of the Normans

Norwich Castle’s programme forms part of preparations for MILLENIUM 2027 – European Year of the Normans, marking 1,000 years since the birth of William the Conqueror. The ambitious European celebration will bring together more than 1,000 events, including exhibitions, cultural events and new partnerships.

Across 2026–27, Norfolk Museums Service will work with partners including Norwich Cathedral, Norwich History Festival, UEA, visit East of England and Visit Norwich on a programme celebrating this significant anniversary. Norwich, recognised for its exceptional medieval heritage, will host a series of events exploring the city's Norman past. Plans include an interactive medieval trail across the city in summer 2027, and a Norman Festival at Norwich Castle, that will give visitors the opportunity to discover how the Norman Conquest shaped Norwich, Norfolk and the rest of England.