Visiting the Bayeux Tapestry In London? 7 William the Conqueror Sites in England to Visit Next
The Bayeux Tapestry is on display at the British Museum in London until 11 July 2027, giving visitors a rare chance to see the famous embroidery in the UK for the first time in nearly 1,000 years. More than 70 metres long, it is one of the most important surviving records of the Norman Conquest, telling the story of the events leading up to William of Normandy's invasion of England through embroidered scenes of ships crossing the Channel, armies preparing for battle, the death of King Harold and William's victory at Hastings.
If the BM's Bayeux Tapestry exhibition has left you wanting to know more about the people and places behind its illustrated scenes, from the spot where his army first landed on the Sussex coast to the battlefield where Harold was defeated, the castles, battlefields and historic sites associated with the Norman Conquest can still be visited today. Some have changed dramatically since 1066, while others still retain buildings, ruins and landscapes connected with the events of the Norman Conquest.
Still planning to see the Bayeux Tapestry?
The Bayeux Tapestry is on display at the British Museum in London until 11 July 2027, giving visitors in the UK a rare chance to see the nearly 1,000-year-old embroidery in person. However, tickets are in extremely high demand. The initial release covering September to December 2026 has already sold out, although the British Museum may have returns available. Further tickets for January to March 2027 and April to July 2027 are being released in stages, so it's worth checking the museum's website if you haven't managed to book yet.
From Pevensey Castle and Battle to Winchester and London, these are the places to visit if you want to follow William's journey through England and see what happened after the events depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry.
1. Pevensey Castle, East Sussex
The Norman invasion begins here.
The first stop on your journey through William the Conqueror's England should be Pevensey Castle. On 28 September 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, landed on the Sussex coast with his invading army. The site was strategically important, with the remains of a Roman fort providing a naturally defensible position. William established a temporary fortification within the Roman walls before moving his army along the coast towards Hastings.
But Pevensey was already an ancient stronghold long before William arrived. The Roman fort of Anderida was built around AD 290 as part of the coastal defences of Roman Britain, when the sea reached much closer to the site than it does today.
The medieval castle developed considerably after 1066. William later granted Pevensey to his half-brother Robert, Count of Mortain, who strengthened the Roman defences and established the first permanent Norman castle. Its position facing the Channel made it important for controlling communications with Normandy and defending against another invasion. The site remained strategically significant for centuries, with the castle seeing sieges, royal prisoners and later conflicts before eventually falling into ruin.
Today, the ruins of Pevensey Castle stand within those ancient Roman defences, and you can still climb the battlements and explore the medieval remains. The site also has a later chapter: during the Second World War, parts of the castle were adapted once again for coastal defence, including machine-gun posts and an observation post.
The Bayeux Tapestry famously depicts William's fleet crossing the Channel, complete with horses being transported to England. Pevensey is the first stop in the story shown on the tapestry, plus it's also easy to combine with Battle, less than 10 miles away.
Pevensey Castle is maintained by English Heritage.
Adult/child tickets from £7.65/£3.82
2. Battle Abbey and Battlefield, East Sussex
Where William defeated Harold.
If Pevensey is where William's invasion began, Battle is where the fate of England's crown was decided. On 14 October 1066, William's Norman army met King Harold Godwinson's English forces on the ridge that is now the site of Battle Abbey. The battle lasted throughout the day, with Harold's army holding the high ground behind a shield wall while William's infantry, archers and cavalry attacked from below. Harold was eventually killed, with the Bayeux Tapestry famously depicting a figure identified as Harold with an arrow in his eye. His death caused the English army to break, giving William the victory he needed to secure his claim to the English throne.
The battlefield itself has survived remarkably well. In 1066 this was open countryside on the edge of the Weald, with the English army occupying the ridge and the Normans attacking uphill from the south. Walking the battlefield today gives you a much better idea of the terrain that shaped the fighting, particularly the steep ground that the Norman forces had to attack.
William later founded Battle Abbey on the site, probably in about 1071, as a memorial to those killed in the battle and as an act of penance for the bloodshed of the Conquest. He insisted that the high altar of the abbey church should mark the place where Harold was believed to have died. When the church was consecrated in 1094, the abbey had become one of the richest religious houses in England. The original Norman church has largely disappeared, but substantial later medieval buildings survive, including the great gatehouse and parts of the monastic complex.
The site now combines the battlefield with the remains of the abbey, along with exhibitions explaining what happened before, during and after the battle. You can walk the route of the fighting, explore the abbey ruins and climb the gatehouse for views across the battlefield. There is also a new exhibition at the visitor centre for 2026, with displays about England before the battle, the conflict itself, armour and weapons, as well as a new family trail.
If you can time your visit for early October, Battle also hosts an annual re-enactment of the Battle of Hastings. In 2026, it takes place on 10th and 11th October, when more than 500 re-enactors will recreate the clash between Harold's Saxon army and William's Normans on the battlefield itself. There are also living-history camps and activities alongside the main battle, making this one of the most atmospheric times to visit if you're particularly interested in 1066.
A quick note about Hastings: Despite being known as the Battle of Hastings, the battle did not actually take place in Hastings. The fighting took place around 7 miles north-west of the town, at what is now Battle in East Sussex, where Battle Abbey was later built. So if you're following the events of 1066, Battle Abbey and Battlefield is the place you want to visit.
Battle Abbey and Battlefield are maintained by English Heritage.
Adult/child tickets from £13.85/£6.88
3. Dover Castle, Kent
One of William's first steps towards London
After defeating Harold, William couldn't simply march to Westminster to collect his crown. He still needed to secure England, and Dover was an obvious target. The port commanded the shortest crossing between England and the European mainland, making it strategically important long before 1066. William captured the town after the Battle of Hastings, burned parts of it and established fortifications on Castle Hill before continuing his advance towards London.
William was not the first ruler to recognise the importance of this hilltop. The site had been occupied since at least the Iron Age, while the Romans built a lighthouse here to guide ships approaching their Channel port. The Anglo-Saxon church of St Mary in Castro, which still stands beside the lighthouse, dates from around the year 1000. By the time of the Norman Conquest, there was already a defended enclosure on the hill, probably making use of much older earthworks.
After taking Dover, William strengthened the existing defences, probably building a timber fortification within the Iron Age earthworks. Exactly what his castle looked like is unknown, and none of William's fortifications survive above ground. The spectacular castle visitors see today belongs largely to a much later period. Henry II rebuilt Dover Castle on a huge scale between 1179 and 1189, creating the enormous Great Tower and much of the medieval castle seen today.
The surviving Roman lighthouse, Anglo-Saxon church and later medieval castle also make the site a good example of how the same defensive position was repeatedly adapted over centuries.
Once you've explored the castle, you can look out across the Channel towards France, giving you a different perspective on the crossing depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry.
Dover Castle is maintained by English Heritage.
Adult/child tickets from £29/14.50
4. Canterbury, Kent
A city caught up in the Norman Conquest
William's advance took him through Canterbury, one of the most important cities in England. The city submitted to William during his campaign towards London, and Canterbury subsequently became an important centre of Norman power.
The Norman influence can still be seen in Canterbury Cathedral. After the Conquest, William appointed Lanfranc as Archbishop of Canterbury, and from 1070 he began rebuilding the cathedral in the Romanesque style. The building visitors see today has been altered and rebuilt many times since, but its history reflects the transformation of Canterbury's religious and political importance under Norman rule.
St Augustine's Abbey is another useful stop for understanding the city in the years around the Conquest. Founded in the 6th century, it had been one of the most important religious sites in Anglo-Saxon England. After 1066, the abbey was rebuilt by the Normans, with a new church and monastic buildings constructed on a much larger scale.
Canterbury also has a possible connection to the Bayeux Tapestry itself. Its exact origins remain debated, but Canterbury has long been suggested as one possible English centre of production. There is no definitive evidence that the tapestry was made here, so it is best treated as an interesting theory rather than an established fact.
If you're interested in the Norman Conquest, Canterbury shows what happened after the fighting, as an existing Anglo-Saxon centre of religious power was rebuilt under Norman rule.
Canterbury is well worth more than a quick stop, so if you're planning to stay for a few days, take a look at our 3-day Canterbury itinerary, which covers the cathedral, medieval streets, St Augustine's Abbey, Roman Canterbury and plenty of places to eat and drink.
Canterbury Cathedral tickets are £19.50 for adults (Annual pass, valid for one year from booking), children ages 17 and under are free.
5. Winchester, Hampshire
The heart of Anglo-Saxon England
Before the Norman Conquest, Winchester was one of the most important cities in England and a centre of Anglo-Saxon royal power. It was home to the royal treasury and had been an important seat of English kings for centuries, so securing Winchester was an important part of William's takeover of the country.
The city surrendered to William during his advance after Hastings, and the Norman king established a castle here as part of his control of the city. Winchester continued to be an important royal centre under the Normans, with William and his successors using it as a base of government.
Today, nothing much remains of William's castle. Winchester Cathedral stands on the site of the Anglo-Saxon cathedral, although the present building dates largely from the Norman and later periods. The Great Hall, meanwhile, is the surviving medieval hall of Winchester Castle, rebuilt in the 13th century after the earlier Norman castle had been replaced. Together with the city's medieval streets, these sites give you a sense of Winchester's continuing importance after the Conquest.
If Battle is where William won the crown, Winchester is where he began taking control of the country he had conquered.
6. The Tower of London
William's fortress in London
If you're visiting the Bayeux Tapestry at the British Museum, you don't need to leave London to continue the story. The Tower of London provides a direct link to the next stage of William's conquest, when victory at Hastings had to be followed by establishing control over the capital.
After entering London, William began building fortifications to secure the city and establish Norman control. The Tower was one of them, established on the eastern edge of London beside the River Thames. Its position gave the new Norman regime control over an important approach to the city as well as a strong defensive position.
The first fortress was a timber construction, but this was soon replaced by the enormous stone White Tower. Construction began around 1078 under Bishop Gundulf of Rochester, who was also involved in building William's castles elsewhere in England. Stone was brought from Normandy for the project, and the White Tower became the centre of the fortress that developed around it.
It is also one of London's most popular historic attractions, with plenty to see beyond its Norman beginnings. You can visit the Crown Jewels, explore Tower Green, where several high-profile prisoners were executed (including two of Henry VIII's wives, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard), and meet the Yeoman Warders, commonly known as the Beefeaters, who lead tours and share stories about the Tower's long history.
The Tower you visit today is the result of centuries of additions and rebuilding, but the White Tower remains the most substantial surviving part of William's original fortress. Inside, you can see the scale of the Norman building and learn more about its early history.
The Tower of London is operated by Historic Royal Palaces.
Adult/child tickets from £37/£18.50
7. Westminster Abbey
Where William became King of England
Westminster Abbey is another easy addition if you're already in London for the Bayeux Tapestry, and it takes you to the final major event of William's 1066 story.
William was crowned King of England on Christmas Day, 25 December 1066, just over two months after the Battle of Hastings. The ceremony took place in the abbey built by Edward the Confessor, and William's coronation established Westminster as the setting for English royal coronations for centuries to come.
The abbey you visit today is largely a later building, as Edward the Confessor's church was rebuilt by Henry III from the 13th century onwards. However, the site has remained the country's coronation church, and you can still see the Coronation Chair, which has been used at almost every English and British coronation since 1308.
There is plenty to see here beyond William's coronation. The Abbey has hosted royal weddings, such as Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip and Prince William and Catherine Middleton, and is the final resting place of more than 3,000 people, including monarchs, politicians, writers, scientists and other notable figures. Several of the Tudors are buried here, and see if you can find the tombs and memorials of Mary, Queen of Scots, Charles Dickens, Isaac Newton and Stephen Hawking.
William's coronation was not entirely peaceful. The ceremony was conducted in both English and French. When the congregation shouted their approval, Norman soldiers outside reportedly interpreted the noise as an attack and began setting fire to buildings around the Abbey. Panic spread among those inside, but the ceremony continued and William was crowned.
Adult/child tickets from £31/£14
William arrived in England as a claimant to the throne and ended the year as its king. His coronation at Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day brought the events shown in the Bayeux Tapestry to their conclusion, although the Norman takeover of England was only just beginning.
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