Bayeux Tapestry at the British Museum & Bletchley Park Museum

Itinerary

Sunday 11 October, The Bayeux Tapestry

From Shropshire we will make our way to London and the British Museum. We have timed entrance tickets to see the tapestry, and there will be time to visit other areas of the museum today.

The 70-metre-long tapestry, depicting events leading up to the Battle of Hastings and the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, is on loan to British Museum from September 2026 to July 2027. It has been on our ‘must see’ list since we first heard about the promised visit last autumn and we are thrilled to have secured tickets.

This monumental embroidery tells the dramatic story of a moment that changed England forever. No year in the country’s history is more famous than 1066. It was the last time England was successfully invaded, and it is the year from which the modern monarchy dates itself. And there is no other object that is as instantly recognisable, as studied in schools and as copied by artists as the Bayeux Tapestry.

One of the wonders of the medieval world, the Tapestry offers a vision of life in 11th-century England both before and after the Conquest, from castles, warfare and ships to clothing, food and furniture. Likely commissioned by a Norman patron and made by English embroiderers, using manuscript drawings from Canterbury, the Tapestry is both a precious historical record and a remarkable work of art.

After our visit we will make our way to our hotel at London, Heathrow. At 19.00 we will reconvene for pre-dinner drinks, followed by dinner at 19.30.

Monday 12 October, Bletchley Park

On our return to Shropshire we will break our journey with a visit to Bletchley Park, once the top-secret home of the World War Two Codebreakers, and now a vibrant heritage location.

Immersive films, interactive displays, museum collections and faithfully recreated WW2 rooms will guide you on a journey to discover the past at Bletchley Park. Exhibitions, set within beautifully restored historic buildings, tell the story of this once top-secret operation. Find out more about the brilliant minds and complex machines that made this vital work possible, and discover the global impact Bletchley Park had on the outcome of WW2.

Built in 1942, Block C is your first port of call where the exhibition Secrets Revealed introduces you to the incredible stories of what happened here during World War Two. Interactive displays offer you a glimpse into the complex world of WW2 codebreaking and will start to reveal some of the work which was done here and was kept secret for so long.

You can book on a free public tour on arrival. A free multimedia guide is also available.

Booking your place

Two people sharing a twin or double room is £475 per person + £43 supplement for sole occupancy of a double room.

Travel arrangements

Departing Shrewsbury at 07.45 on Sunday 11 October and arriving back in Shropshire on Monday 12 October at 17.30. All timings are provisional, are dependent upon traffic on the day and will be confirmed 7-days before travel.

The itinerary

On occasion we may need to make changes to the planned itinerary due to circumstances beyond our control. If this does happen we will get in touch to let you know the alternative arrangements.

And finally…

You are strongly advised to take out your own travel insurance to cover you for any emergency or cancellation or loss of luggage etc.

We have an ‘All Weather Policy’ which means the tour will go ahead come rain or shine unless the Met Office announces it is unsafe to travel. You are advised to check the weather forecast and bring appropriate clothing and footwear.

Please look at the Hotel Information and Mobility & Accessibility sections further down this for information on venues.

The Sheraton Hotel, Heathrow

We will be staying at The Sheraton Hotel, Heathrow.

This is one of our ‘go-to’ hotels when visiting London, renown for its comfortable beds. It offers good access to both venues.

Accessibility & mobility

See information for accessibility and mobility for Bletchley Park here.

For the British Museum click here.

Bayeux Tapestry at the British Museum & Bletchley Park Museum

Tour Information

For the first time since it was made nearly 1,000 years ago, the Bayeux Tapestry is returning to England.

‘To encounter the tapestry in person is to feel history in a way no reproduction or textbook can ever really quite capture, a sense of absolute awe.’ Dr Nicholas Cullinan OBE, Director of the British Museum

Bletchley Park, our second destination is a little more contemporary, but it also plays a significant part in our history.

Included in the cost:

1 night, 2 days

Itinerary

Sunday 11 October, The Bayeux Tapestry

Monday 12 October, Bletchley Park

Booking your place