English Tilers

Brightly coloured tiles, often decorated with enchanting scenes and designs, are among the most common and fascinating survivals from the medieval period. In this lively account Elizabeth Eames traces the history of the tilers' craft from the earliest decorated floor tiles, specially commissioned to create elaborate pavements for the wealthy, royal and ecclesiastical patrons, to the development of commercially manufactured tiles produced by individual tilers. She explains how the tiles were made and decorated, how the tilers combined the production of elaborate floor tiles with plainer, more functional roof tiles, and how they organised their daily lives.