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The Vale's (former) medieval tile collection Medieval tile from Burton Lazars. The 9th Duke of Rutland, Captain John Henry Montagu Manners (1886 to 1940) was regarded as an authority on medieval art, especially floor tiles. His collection of English medieval floor-tiles is regarded as without a rival in the world. Until 1947 this collection was set out in one of the rooms at Belvoir Castle. The Duke himself catalogued the tiles in detail, with coloured reproductions (all his own work). Quite why the Duke became interested in medieval tiles is unknown. However from the 1860s onwards the Arts and Crafts Movement, led by William Morris, had begun to create awareness of medieval designs, including those for tiles. Prior to that the pioneer of Gothic Revival A.W.N. Pugin had, in the 1840s, commissioned especially eyecatching 'medievalesque' tiles from Minton for the Catholic church in Cheadle, Staffordshire. So, by the early twentieth century, medieval tiles were most definitely 'on trend'. After his death in 1940 the Duke's collection was acquired by the British Museum in 1947 and was combined with the tiles of Captain Charles Ludovic Lindsay to form the Rutland Collection. They had collaborated on collecting and excavating tiles. In 1949 the task of accessioning the Rutland Collection was given to a newly-recruited Special Acting Assistant Keeper called Elizabeth Eames. Medieval tiles became a major part of her life. In 1980 the British Museum published her two-volume Catalogue of medieval lead-glazed earthenware tiles in the Department of Medieval and Later Antiquities. The breadth of her expertise is summarised in an obituary: www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/elizabeth-eames-influential-widely-published-archaeologist-whose-expertise-was-in-medieval-floortiles-957910.html Examples of the British Museum's Rutland Collection are also online: www.britishmuseum.org/collection/search?keyword=Art&page=708 The most notable items collected by the Duke are from the Canynges Pavement from Bristol, the 'leper hospital' at Burton Lazars, and waste tiles from the kiln at Bawsey, Norfolk. These were excavated by him while still the Marquess of Rutland. Note that although the Burton Lazars location is frequently referred to as a 'leper hospital' the work of David Marcombe established that it was instead the principal house (or Preceptory) of the Order of the Knights of St Lazarus. The Order's hospital was near Tilton on the Hill. See this blog and also David Marcombe, 'The Collegiate Church of Burton Lazars', Acta Historiae Sancti Lazari Ordinis, 2022, 5:30–54 and David Marcombe, Leper Knights: The Order of St Lazarus of Jerusalem in England, c.1150–1544 (Boydell 2003). Excavations in 1913 by Charles Lindsay and the then-Marquess of Rutland at Burton Lazars to the south of Melton Mowbray uncovered medieval paving and what appear to be tile kilns. The Marquess retained around one hundred medieval floor tiles, many carrying the coats of arms of noble families. See www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=321285&resourceID=19191 Details of the Canynges Pavement are online: www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00681288.1951.11894597 The Bawsey site was a significant late Anglo-Saxon and medieval industrial area known primarily for the production of highly distinctive glazed floor tiles – known as 'Bawsey tiles' – and a range of pottery. The first medieval tile kiln was discovered in 1843 by Daniel Gurney, an amateur archaeologist. The site was rediscovered in 1928 and further excavated in the following years by Harry Bradfer-Lawrence and the Marquess of Granby. Lots more details here: norwichcastle.wordpress.com/2020/09/21/made-in-medieval-norfolk/ More online information en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Manners,_9th_Duke_of_Rutland www.meltontimes.co.uk/news/opinion/columnists/historic-melton-burton-lazars-leper-hospital-and-roger-the-leper-head-4951019 Back to top of this page     Back to home page   This website does not gather or store any visitor information. Copyright Bob Trubshaw 2025 No unauthorised copying or reproduction except if all following conditions apply: a: Copy is complete (including this copyright statement). b: No changes are made. c: No charge is made. www.hoap.co.uk/chronicle

Chronicle entries home page what's new? the geology of the Vale the boundaries and rivers of the Vale long, long ago prehistory in the Vale prehistoric boundaries in the Vale north-south prehistoric routeways Romans roads in the Vale Roman settlements in and near the Vale long ago introduction to Anglo-Saxons place-names of the Vale waterborne transport around the sixth century Orston's early church Anglo-Saxon sculpture in the Vale why Orston lost out to Bingham and Bottesford what the Normans did for the Vale Granby's importance in 1086 Granby's lost castle the Vale's watermills in 1086 Romanesque sculpture in the Vale St Remigius why Bottesford is in Leicestershire the Vale in medieval times medieval gargoyles of the Vale Eastwell's chancel screen St Ethelburga's church other early saints Elston's old chapel Muston and Long Clawson saltways of the Vale the Vale's medieval tile collection the Vale in Tudor times Dissolution in the Vale not that long ago the Vale in the C17th the 'great and the good' of the Vale Bottesford's effigies 'wicked practice and sorcerye' the whales on the Whalley memorial Car Colston's bigoted GP cum JP the Vale's very own regicide Wiverton Hall five rare C17th fonts in the Vale pinfolds and pounds in the Vale dovecotes in the Vale the Vale in the C18th turnpiking the Vale gravestones and C18th trade routes goodbye 'Belvoir Angels' C18th gravestone carvers in the Vale Daffy's Elixir the Marquess of Granby Stilton from the Vale springs and spas of the Vale outstanding organs in the Vale Grantham canal changes in the Vale's agriculture since 1800 Eastwell's recusant priest house and chapel Colston Bassett's ruined church seems like yesterday windmills in the Vale stained glass in the Vale village life in the southern Vale 1850 to 1880 folklore of the Vale Flintham museum lacemaking in the Vale gypsum pits in the Vale brick and tile works in the Vale ironstone quarrying in the Vale ironstone railways ironstone quarries of Leicestershire (YouTube video) The Vale's railway stations Orston's famous architect Mothers Union banners of the Vale redundant telephone exchanges in the Vale WWII airfields and pillboxes in the Vale the Vale in 1944 location shooting at Belvoir Castle Screveton's giants researching and writing local history the Vale as a verb getting started free advice from 2005 asking curious questions (YouTube video) local history groups in and around the Vale Aslockton (Cranmer LHG) Bingham Heritage Trails Association Bottesford Eastwell Harby Harlaxton Hickling Redmile archive Belvoir Villages History and Memories Group Belvoir Angel Society Grantham Canal Society you may also be interested in free PDFs written by Bob Trubshaw Earliest Churches in Nottinghamshire How Anglo-Saxons Found Their Way Anglo-Saxon Leicestershire Conversations in Churchyards Little-known Leicestershire and Rutland Bob Trubshaw's YouTube channel Introduction to medieval carvings Anglo-Saxon and Romanesque carvings How Anglo-Saxons found their way Anglo-Saxon shrines at fords Meetings at triangles Rota's Land and Franni's Land Reading Romanesque fonts Church and manor The significances of square headdresses Early churches and waterborne trade Charnwood slate gravestones and C18th trade routes Ironstone quarries of Leicestershire Roman roads in north-east Leicestershire Salt ways in Leicestershire Why Melton Mowbray needed to called 'middle town' Evolving Anglo-Saxon agriculture Nottinghamshire's earliest churches Ploughs not piety? Economic regeneration in the C7th Were Anglo-Saxon weaving huts women-only places? Barrowby Until Now website Rutland Village by Village website Sepulchral Effigies of Leicestershire and Rutland