Understanding and valuing medieval floor tiles

Between 700 and 900 years ago in the middle to late medieval period, tiles designed to be used for both decorative and utility purposes as a surface on which to walk were made in their many thousands at various sites in England. Unsurprisingly many are long gone, but more surprising is that a great many remain in parish churches and manorial homes, where they found their way following Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries and the redistribution of church wealth. This paper discusses these tiles as well as those remaining in our great cathedrals. The paper will help those whose interests include historic material to recognise the intrinsic value of these tiles and reasons for preserving them, and to understand how they were made, how they were used and how to care for them. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.