Speaker: Dr Tom Chamberlain

This talk will look at types of medieval inlaid tiles found in England, concentrating on the Wessex style found in Winchester and other areas of S England. Many inlaid tile pavements were destroyed with the dissolution of the Monasteries and with them much of the records and equipment about their manufacture. How might these tiles have been made? The talk will detail trials involved with the recreation of these tiles. The second part of the talk will be a live demonstration.

Biography

Tom and his wife are potters based in Hampshire producing domestic stoneware. Living near Winchester Tom has visited several of the world-renown tile pavements and collections found in that city. There is little documentation as to how tiles were made in the medieval period and how they could be recreated. Tom has been working to develop methods and techniques to authentically recreate medieval inlaid tiles. Initially he recreated single tiles in the Wessex style and these have been built up into a ‘sampler’ pavement – as described in Glazed Expressions. More recently he has been working to recreate the inlaid tile roundels found at Muchelney Church in Somerset, in the Kings Chamber at Clarendon Palace near Salisbury (now in the British Museum), and also the tile mosaics typical of the Yorkshire Cistercian Abbeys. He is documenting his progress through articles and talks, through social media and through his blog

https://tomchamberlain.quarto.pub/

Podcast, 24 mins

Discover how Professor Vanessa Toulmin is helping to restore Morecambe’s historic Winter Gardens and uncover its hidden stories.

Part of University of Sheffield Off the Shelf Festival.

2 Nov 2025 18:00

The Morecambe Winter Gardens is a Grade 2* Listed Theatre.  For five years Professor Vanessa Toulmin has been the Chair of the Preservation Trust responsible for raising over £4.4 Million pounds of funding to stabilise the building and restore its important features.

Vanessa discusses the contested history of the venue, placing it in the wider context of 20th century performance studies and examining previously unknown histories that reveal a different narrative to the standard seaside variety hall that it has been placed within.

The Morecambe Winter Gardens: Contested Histories | The University of Sheffield Player

This is not a TACS managed Event and neither the Society nor its officers or servants accept any liability of any kind whatsoever, howsoever arising. Please check details with the organizer in case of changes or cancellation.

Glazed Expressions Issue No. 96 has just been posted to members.

Articles in this issues:

Diary of a Tile Addict Joe Simpson (with contributions from Hanna Simpson) 

Worth A Detour – The Former Butcher’s Shop, Broseley, Shropshire Penny Beckett

Art, Music and Literature Panels by Walter Hudspith Lesley Durbin 

Contemporary Tilemaker – Penny Hampson Penny Hampson

Re-creation of Medieval Inlaid Tiles Tom Chamberlain

Preservation of Tiles, Faience and Sculptural Ceramics –Morecambe Winter Gardens Michael Rieveley

Oldham Town Hall ‘Egyptian Room’ Angela and Barry Corbett

The Trent Art Tile Company Rob Higgins

TACS Tour of Salisbury Jo Amey

The 2025 AGM will take place on Saturday 5th July at the Midland Hotel in Bradford from 2 to 4pm. We require 20 members present to vote in the committee and ratify decisions. If you are unable to attend in person please consider attending virtually. Papers will be available on the website shortly. Book your place to receive a Zoom meeting link and a link to the papers.

We still need volunteers in particular Membership Secretary and Treasurer so please get in touch by replying to this e mail if you are interested in a trial run.

Bradford City of Culture Weekend Events

Members should have received a Bradford Tile Trail leaflet with your Glazed Expressions. We will be taking a look at the Bradford Tile Trail in person:

Friday 4th July

11am – 12 midday: tour of Bradford City Hall (£5 pp if booked separately)

3 – 4pm: visit to St Clement’s Arts and Crafts Church Barkerend (£5 pp if booked separately)

Saturday 5th July

10am – 12 midday: Bradford Tile Trail city centre highlights plus Joseph Mayo mural, starts and ends at Midland Hotel Bradford (£10 per person includes all other weekend events)

2 – 4pm: AGM, French Ballroom, Midland Hotel Bradford (free to attend for TACS Members)

For online access to the AGM committee reports please e-mail: info@tacsuk.org

Sunday 6th July 11am – 12 midday: talk in Saltaire with local historian and conservator, Thomas Hayman (£5 pp if booked separately)

No. 94 2024

The Tile Collection of Roger Hensman (Rob Higgins)
Contemporary Tilemaker: Ned Heywood (Ned Heywood)
Tile Designs by Jane Medley and Mary Stott (Chris Blanchett)
Worth A Detour – Some Sites from the TACS Locations List (Penny Beckett)
A Carters ‘Scrap Book’ Donated to TACS (Rob Higgins)
Arista and Other Probable Spanish Tiles from Hickling Priory (Paul Drury)
William De Morgan’s 1880 Catalogue (Rob Higgins)

TACS Members are cordially invited to a private viewing of the tile collection of the late Roger Hensman, long serving TACS Treasurer and contributor to Glazed Expressions, at Fieldings Auctioneers Ltd in Stourbridge on Tuesday 25th June. The Roger Hensman Tile Collection – From Delft to De Morgan – constitutes approx. 5000 tiles covering the history of ceramic tile manufacture and design from around the world with examples from leading manufacturers and designers including antique, Arts & Crafts, Art Nouveau, Art Deco & Mid Century Design. 

A guided walk of Stourbridge taking in some of its ceramic highlights will take place at 1pm led by Rob Higgins. Viewing will take place from 2pmfollowed at 4-5pm by talks from Will Farmer, Director of Fieldings Auctioneers and Antique’s Roadshow presenter, and Rob Higgins, De Morgan author and tile collector, with refreshments served. Rob will bring the collection to life in Roger’s own words with quotes from Collector’s Corner. Both browsers and buyers are welcome. The sale of the collection will take place on Wednesday 26th June.

Please register your interest in the walk and / or the viewing and talks events@tacsuk.org RSVP by Friday June 14th. This event is free to members.