Find Spot record MDO4642 - Medieval floor tile from the National Westminster Bank, The Commons, Shaftesbury

A fragment of glazed medieval floor tile recovered from the rubble infill of a cellar. The tile is lead glazed over white slip in an inlaid fleur-de-lys pattern, identified as part of a four-tile set. The record for this monument has been enhanced with support from Wessex Water

'The tile is 120mm x 85mm x 25mm, weighs 0.3 kg and is in a pale orange quartzite fabric with inclusions of ironstone up to 5 mm in diameter and occasional grog. There is one large knife scoop and traces of two others and an acute bevel. A lead glaze over white slip in an inlaid patter (inlay to 2 mm) shows yellow on a green background It is part of a four-tile pattern (Emden 1977, no. 74), a fleur-de-lys variant, and can be dated to the 14th century, representing production of tiles in Wessex at that time.

Shaftesbury Abbey had five tiles in situ, of this pattern, on the north side of the Sanctuary in 1902-4. There is one such tile in the Abbey Museum and two whole and four fragments in the Dorset County Museum. Full measurement of the whole tile is 140 mm x 140 mm x 23 mm with four knife scoops (ibid). The tile is now in the Shaftesbury Museum.' (1)

Shaftesbury and District Archaeological Group, 1974, Shaftesbury and District Archaeological Group; Interim Report 1974 (Serial). SDO11549.

Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1978, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1976, 59 (Serial). SDO76.

<1> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1991, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1990, 123 (Serial). SDO90.

Record last edited

Dec 30 2015 1:26PM