History's most famous tapestry may have been viewed in unusual setting, new research suggests

The tapestry vividly depicts the Norman Conquest and the Battle of Hastings - and is widely believed to date to the 1070s.

The scenes show how the Normans invaded England from France and seized power from the Anglo-Saxons, all culminating in the death of Harold Godwinson at Hastings.

Benjamin Pohl, a medieval history professor at the University of Bristol, published his research in the journal Historical Research on Dec. 12.

Speaking to Fox News Digital, Pohl said he believes the tapestry was designed specifically for the monastic refectory of St. Augustine's Abbey in Canterbury.

"From a practical perspective, a cathedral nave does not offer a particularly suitable space for hanging an embroidery of this length and weight in such a way that its contents can be seen and understood easily," he said.

The expert also noted that the Bayeux Tapestry's text is written in a particular type of Latin - one that he says "matches the diverse levels of literacy found in a medieval monastery."

"The Bayeux Tapestry's narrative can be interpreted as a moral story in keeping with the kinds of texts monks were contemplating regularly during mealtimes," he said.

Instead, the artwork was probably viewed in silence, Pohl said - while the monks ate plain and simple food, like light beer, bread, fish and a rare serving of meat.

"Following the rule of St. Benedict, which governed monastic life across much of medieval Europe, medieval monks were expected to maintain complete silence while eating, aside from the voice of the reader delivering the day's text," he said.

If Pohl's theory proves correct, it would mean the refectory of St. Augustine's was meant to be built in the 1080s - and the Bayeux Tapestry may have been "kept in a box and was perhaps forgotten about" before the refectory was finished in 1120.

"[N]obody could have foreseen that it would take almost 50 years for the refectory to be completed, so the plan might well have been to only keep it in storage for a few years," the professor added. 

"But the massive delay may have extended this storage period for nearly two generations."

The latest research comes after the medieval masterpiece made several headlines in 2025.