The British Museum has announced adjustments to the way visitors access its Bayeux Tapestry exhibition following complaints about lengthy queues and overcrowded conditions.

The new arrangements will include extended opening times, an audio guide, more seating and improved signs throughout the visitor route.

A museum representative said interest in the 11th-century embroidery had been “remarkable”, while accepting that some guests had faced waits far longer than expected.

Some visitors said they had queued for as long as two hours, while reports suggested that hundreds of ticket holders were unable to enter after delays when the museum closed early last week for a private function.

Several ticket holders shared their frustration on social media after their visits were disrupted.

One visitor described the trip as a long-awaited “major occasion”, while another said she had hoped to see the Bayeux Tapestry since childhood and was turned away despite having bought tickets and queued.

The museum subsequently apologised to visitors who could not gain entry, saying they would receive refunds as well as priority access to reserve a new timeslot.

Starting on Monday, visitors will be able to use an audio guide offering further background on the embroidery. Extra signs and seating will also be available for those waiting to enter the main display.

The museum said longer daily opening hours would be introduced to reduce the build-up of queues and give people with later bookings sufficient time to see the exhibition.

Specific details of the revised opening schedule have not yet been confirmed.

Interest has been intense since tickets went on sale in July, when a record 100,000 tickets were purchased on the first day.

People who missed out during the initial release will have two more opportunities to secure tickets, with additional sales planned for October and January.

Adult admission is priced at £33 during peak periods and £27 at quieter times. This compares with the usual €12, or about £10, charge to see the work in Bayeux, Normandy. Entry to the London exhibition is free for children under 16.

The exhibition opened on 10 September but has encountered repeated issues with queues and crowding, partly because some visitors remained in the gallery beyond their allocated 40-minute viewing period.

Photography was later prohibited, and a recorded announcement was introduced to encourage visitors to keep moving through the one-way exhibition route.

The 70-metre Bayeux Tapestry presents 58 scenes recounting the events around the Norman conquest of England, the Battle of Hastings in 1066, and the collapse of Anglo-Saxon rule.

Despite its familiar title, it is technically an embroidery rather than a woven tapestry, featuring around 626 people and 200 horses.

The Bayeux Tapestry has been loaned by the French government and transported from Normandy, where it has been displayed since 1983. It is due to remain on show until July 2027.

The agreement represents the first time the embroidery has been brought back to Britain since it was made more than 900 years ago.