As anticipation builds for what is expected to be one of the year’s most memorable exhibitions, opening on 10    September, attention is also turning to the specialist logistics operation that brought the Bayeux Tapestry safely to the British Museum.

Ben Fletcher, Chief Executive of business group Logistics UK, said the move demonstrates the expertise required to transport an artefact of such age, scale and cultural significance.

“Viewing the Bayeux Tapestry is set to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the tens of thousands getting ready to visit,” Mr Fletcher said. “While the history of the tapestry and the story it tells are well known, the scale of the logistics operation involved in ensuring its safe arrival may be less familiar.”

Transporting the tapestry presented a significant challenge. Almost 1,000 years old, 70 metres long and extremely fragile, with pre-existing holes and tears in the fabric, it required careful planning to minimise any risk of damage during the journey.

• Dry test runs were carried out using a replica of the tapestry.
• Vibration monitoring equipment was used to assess movement during transport.
• A specialist crate was engineered to absorb shocks throughout the journey.
• Security measures were put in place along the route to safeguard the artefact.

The movement of the Bayeux Tapestry relied on both road and rail systems as it travelled from France to England via LeShuttle, before completing the final stretch of its journey on the M20.

“LeShuttle is a 24-hour operation and critical for the delivery of goods between mainland Europe and Great Britain,” he said. “More than half of all goods traded between the two move across the Short Straits, with 16,000 freight vehicles travelling through the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel every day. It is thanks to this seamless operation that the tapestry reached the British Museum safely and without incident.”

The successful transportation of the Bayeux Tapestry highlights the vital role of specialist logistics in preserving historic objects during complex and sensitive movements.