World record steel mosaic of Bayeaux Tapestry coming to 1066 country

The Medieval Mosaic is made of three million pieces of spring steel and holds the Guinness World Record as the world’s largest steel mosiac.

The 450kg mosaic took Michael Linton, from Geraldine, NZ, 20 years to complete and will be on display in the Crypt Gallery in St Mary in the Castle for three months as part of the 1066 commemorations.

Hastings Borough Council’s deputy mayor and lead member for marketing Kim Forward said it will be a valuable addition to the 950th anniversary celebrations.

“This mosaic is the result of many years of hard work, and will I think be a great attraction here in Hastings, in this the 950th anniversary year of the battle which made us a household name,” she said.

“I think it’s fantastic that it is coming to Hastings, its first ever visit to the UK, and I’m really looking forward to seeing it myself this summer.”

The mosaic tells the story of William the Conquerer’s invasion of Britain and success in the Battle of Hastings, including the infamous image of King Harold with an arrow through the eye.

As well as the story told on the original Bayeaux Tapestry, Michael’s creation includes an eight-metre long ‘finale’ section that tells the story from the battle to William’s coronation on Christmas Day in 1066.

This section took another five years to research and create with the help of Michael’s daughter Rachael. A preceding section was also made by the father-daughter team to portray the events before the Hastings battle, including the Battle of Fulford Gate and Stamford Bridge.

This part took another eight years to make and added an extra 22 metres to the finished article.

The 33-year masterpiece has been on display in Geraldine since September, 2001, but will now be shipped 18,700km to Hastings for the commemorations.

The organisers will then take it on a tour of the country and are asking for people to get in touch should they want to exhibit it.

At a Battle Town Council (BTC) meeting on Tuesday, January 19, members initially expressed their disappointment that it was not going to be displayed in Battle, where the battle was fought. But councillors were interested in the fact that after the tour, the mosaic does not have a permanent home, and they thought it could stay in Battle.

This is not the only tapestry coming to 1066 country either, as BTC supported a proposal for a tapestry at Battle railway station.

To find out more about the Medieval Mosiac, visit www.1066.co.nz.

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