This is a hurried snap taken in the forecourt as we left The British Museum after seeing the exhibition on Hawai’i.
We entered the museum from the side entrance, so we didn’t see the trees in front of the main entrance until we left.
So as we exited, we were met by the trees, and it was really noticeable how different the space feels with the trees there. It soften up the austere space.
The British Museum is the most visited attraction in London, or in the entire United Kingdom, with more than six-and-a-half million visitors a year.
I guess that when the museum was built, the intention was to impress visitors with the majesty of the endeavour.
Times have changed.
The Bayeux Tapestry
The Bayeux tapestry is coming to The British Museum. As the website says, it is “Returning to the UK after 1,000 years”.
The trees in the forecourt are meant to be an introduction to the exhibition, chosen ‘to evoke the landscape in the Bayeux tapestry.’
According to the man we spoke to, they are not permanent features. With their root-balls wrapped in hessian, the trees will only be there for a few weeks and then removed so that the trees don’t suffer.
As Tamara and I commented, the trees soften the view of the museum forecourt. So if the authorities can find a way to put a permanent tree layout there, we think everyone would like it.
And as Tamara said, look at how people have chosen to sit on the hessian – showing that people like having somewhere to park themselves.
The Bayeux tapestry exhibition runs from 10 September 2026 – 11 July 2027.
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