Ian Williams, 70, has spent the last four decades recreating the historic Bayeux Tapestry, embarking on the ambitious project during his daily train commute.
Williams began his painstaking work in the 1980s, using his two-hour journey from Suffolk to London as an opportunity to stitch the detailed scenes that depict events leading up to the Battle of Hastings in 1066. His cross-stitched replica measures 86 feet in length, over a third of the 230-foot original.
"It seemed like the biggest tapestry I’d ever heard of and I thought I would be commuting for years and years," Williams told the BBC. He described the process as a relaxing hobby, noting that while the movements are repetitive, careful consideration of color choices is essential.
Williams's completed replica is now on display in Aberdeenshire at Macduff’s Market Street Hall. It is presented on a roller, allowing visitors to scroll through the lengthy creation. The exhibition coincides with the public display of the original Bayeux Tapestry at the British Museum in London, which opened last week and will run until 2027. This marks the original tapestry's return to British soil on loan from France, drawing significant public demand.
Williams's initial encounter with the original tapestry occurred when his work in the maritime industry led him to France, where he visited Bayeux.