Reading Museum

Free town museum housing a full-scale Bayeux Tapestry replica and Roman Silchester finds

Reading Museum, housed in Reading Town Hall, is free and covers the town's history from the Roman settlement of Calleva Atrebatum (Silchester) through the medieval abbey to the Industrial Revolution biscuit empire of Huntley & Palmers. The Roman gallery, with finds from the nearby excavations at Silchester, is the strongest permanent collection — mosaics, sculptures, and everyday objects from what was a substantial Roman town.

The Bayeux Tapestry replica, displayed in a dedicated gallery, is the other major draw: a full-scale Victorian embroidered copy of the original, made in the 1880s and displayed in proper sequence so you can follow the entire narrative from Harold's oath to the Battle of Hastings. It is a remarkable object in its own right. The museum also holds changing exhibitions and is worth checking for programme details. Entry is free.

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A story
The Bayeux Tapestry replica on display here was made in the 1880s by the Leek Embroidery Society — 35 women working in Staffordshire. It took them three years to complete all 72 scenes. The original in Normandy was made at the command of Bishop Odo, William the Conqueror's half-brother, who held Reading Abbey lands. The copy, at full scale and displayed in proper sequence, is one of the few places outside Bayeux where you can see the whole thing.

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