Please note last entry is at 4pm and due to the length of the queue, it is not guaranteed that you will see the full exhibition as the eastern half of cathedral will close for Evensong just after 5pm.
Information about local car parks can be found here.
Opening Times
Please expect to queue to see the Exhibition.
The exhibition will be on display from 9am - 5pm (12-3pm on Sunday 15 September, and 1-5pm Sunday 22 September) every day except where stipulated below.
Closure notices - half of the exhibition will be closed during the following times (the other half can still be viewed)
Monday 16 September, 12-2.30pm: The east end of the Cathedral will be closed for a funeral.
Other dates to note
Sunday 22 September - We have an Animal Blessing Service in the afternoon and whilst the exhibition remains fully open, the queue will predominantly be outside so as not to disrupt the service so please dress accordingly in case of bad weather and bring umbrellas if needed.
Thursday 26 September, 9am - 12noon. Please note that there will be organ scholar auditions during this time. The exhibition will remain fully open but please expect some noise.
D-Day 80th anniversary commemorated as The Longest Yarn comes to Southwell in UK-first
The Longest Yarn is an 80m 3D depiction of that fateful day, 6th June 1944, in wool art
With 80 displays, each measuring one metre in length, depicting scenes of the world’s largest amphibious invasion, The Longest Yarn is something quite unique and not to be missed. The scenes include the build-up to D-Day in England, the horrors on the Landing Beaches and the bloody inland battles.
There is no charge for entry but donations are invited. Suggested donation £5pp. Tickets are not needed. Please check below for occasional times where part of the exhibition will be closed to visitors.
Created with guidance from professional historians to be accurate, each scene has been selected by the creator to depict the story of this momentous day in history.
Some of the scenes depict actual WW2 veterans that were in the theatre of war in Normandy on 6th June plus the lesser-known events in local towns and villages in Normandy.
180 knitters from across the world, including the UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, France and even people with NATO stationed in Europe, have joined in to help make this project happen.
Tansy Foster, who came up with the idea and has lead the operations from France said:
“One of my favourite scenes that will be on display is the depiction of the famous moment Lord Lovat and Piper Bill Millin crossed Pegasus Bridge, and another is when he plays his pipes on Sword Beach. Piper Millin’s son donated his father’s favourite jumper to us which we unravelled (frogged) and used the wool to knit the figures of Piper Bill - it’s given a real poignancy to these scenes."
The Very Revd Nicola Sullivan, Dean of Southwell commented:
“We are honoured to be the first place in the UK to host this prestigious exhibition. We look forward to welcoming visitors to Southwell to view these scenes from what is one of the most important days in European history."
An accompanying book will be on sale, giving more information on each of the 80 scenes, including a picture from 1944 to show viewers what each scene was based on.
We expect this to be extremely popular and so to help us manage numbers, if you are bringing a party of more than 10 people, please could you let us know in advance by emailing office@southwellminster.org.uk Thank you
The Longest Yarn are a non-profit Association and self-fund the exhibition – if you would like to make a donation to help with the costs, please click here.
Check out this video on BBC news this morning (30 May) for more details on The Longest Yarn https://fb.watch/so5D-944SO/
We are extremely grateful to Big G Logistics who have kindly agreed to collect the exhibition from France and bring it over at a discounted rate, and also to Brittany Ferries who have waived their transport costs.
Opening Times
The exhibition will be on display from 9am - 5pm (12-3pm on Sunday 15 September, and 1-5pm Sunday 22 September) every day except where stipulated below.
Closure notices - half of the exhibition will be closed during the following times (the other half can still be viewed)
Monday 16 September, 12-2.30pm: The east end of the Cathedral will be closed for a funeral.
Other dates to note
Sunday 21 September - We have an Animal Blessing Service in the afternoon and whilst the exhibition remains fully open, the queue will predominantly be outside so as not to disrupt the service so please dress accordingly in case of bad weather and bring umbrellas if needed.
Thursday 26 September, 9am - 12noon. Please note that there will be organ scholar auditions during this time. The exhibition will remain fully open but please expect some noise.
