Where did this go?
This tile did not travel through Europe or in the Mediterranean region. It’s one of the finest examples of medieval tiles, and it was made very close to Chertsey Abbey, where it was laid as part of a pavement. The kiln in which these tiles were fired was discovered in 1922 alongside other discarded Chertsey tiles, showing that they had been made on site. It was later rediscovered within the ruins of the Abbey.
This tile was donated to the British Museum by Dr. H Manwaring Shurlock. Dr. Shurlock assembled a large collection of Chertsey tiles after their discovery in the 1850s at Chertsey. In the 1850s, the owner of the Abbey ruins was Mr. Grumbridge, who was hoping to transform the historic site to construct himself a residence. Grumbridge's workers stumbled upon a "surface of concrete, on which were laid a large number of enriched tiles." His workmen were fascinated with the tiles. As their interest disturbed their productivity, Grumbridge removed the pile of tiles to a shed.
Dr. Mainwaring Shurlock, who had recently come to reside in Chertsey, became interested in the tiles. When shown the pile of tiles, about the size of a cart-load, he had them "picked out from the dirt." Shurlock studied the fragments and aggregated the designs, and then painted reproductions of the roundels. Shurlock was impressed by the beauty and technical excellence of these fragmented tiles – accompanied by a sense of allure from an antiquarian's perspective.
Dr. Shurlock's gift of tiles, including this one, to the British Museum provided the foundation for their large collection of Chertsey tiles.
