At various times and places within the precincts of Repton Priory tiles have been dug up. In the year 1851 the British Archæological Association held a Congress at Derby, and a visit was made to Repton. Its members examined, among other interesting things, some remarkably fine specimens of encaustic tiles, which Dr. Peile, then Headmaster, had dug up, on or about the site of the Priory Church, but it was not till the year 1866 that the kiln itself was discovered. This discovery cannot be better described than in the words of Dr. Pears, quoted from The Reliquary, January, 1868.

“Through the months of October and November, 1866, the boys of Repton School were busily engaged in levelling a piece of uneven grass land within the Old Abbey (Priory) Wall. During the work they came unexpectedly upon patches of a stiff red clay, quite unlike the ordinary soil of the place, with here and there fragments of encaustic tiles, such as have from time to time been found in other parts of the Old Abbey (Priory) grounds. Presently they found a considerable number of whole tiles of various patterns, in two rows of layers, placed face downwards. On the sixth of November they struck upon brickwork, so covered and choked with the clay and broken tiles that it was extremely difficult to clear it.” When the accumulated mass of broken tiles and clay had been cleared away, it proved to be a tile-kiln, “one of the most perfect mediæval kilns hitherto unearthed in England.” It consisted of two chambers, side by side, seven feet six inches long, two feet six inches wide, and about one foot ten inches high. Six arches of chamfered bricks or tiles, specially made for the purpose, supported a flat roof. Between the arches were recesses wide enough to receive the tiles placed there to be burnt, hundreds of which were found piled up one upon another, but, as they were unburnt, they were soft and pliable, and soon crumbled away. Among the débris, however, many whole tiles and fragments were found, greatly varying in pattern. The more perfect specimens were placed over the fire-place in the old “big school,” and formed a most interesting mantel-piece. When the room was dismantled in 1889 they were taken down and placed in a cupboard in the inner room till a suitable place can be found for them.

During the excavations made in 1883-5 on the site of the Priory Church, many more tiles were discovered which, with many carved stones, have been affixed to the old north aisle wall, where they can be seen in various stages of decay, suffering from the effects of exposure to our climate.

Among the tiles discovered in 1866, Mr. Llewellyn Jewitt writes, (Reliquary, Jan. 1868), “are examples different in form, as well as in material and design, from any others which had come under my notice, made of light stone-coloured clay, the foliated pattern in very high and bold relief, and covered with a rich green glaze.” One consists of the crowned letter M, terminated at either end with a crowned letter A, with foliage, all in high relief, and green glazed. The letters are the initial ones of Ave Maria, and probably adorned the “Chapel of Our Lady” in the Priory Church, where one was found during the excavations. Among the single tile patterns, of which these two are the most beautiful, are many very curious ones, armorial bearings of England, with label of France, the de Warrenes, de Burghs, Berkeleys, and Hastings, &c. Alphabet. Fleur-de-lis. Emblems of Saints Peter and Paul, (Bell, Key, and Sword). Grotesques, (men, animals, birds, &c.) One, bearing the name Redlington and arms, which some suppose stand for Bridlington, and the arms of the founder (Gant) of that priory. Geometrical, Foliage, especially oak leaves, with acorns. Another is divided into nine square compartments, (stamp used, intended for smaller tiles,) in the centre a flower, right-hand top corner, arms of De Warrene, left-hand bottom corner, arms of Berkeley, the others, a double fleur-de-lis, a cross lozengy between four pellets, a rabbit, a martlet, and two grotesque animals.

Of four tile patterns there are some good examples, geometrical designs with foliage (oak leaves), and armorial bearings.

There are also some remarkably rich and beautiful sixteen tile patterns. One has a border of curving foliage between a double circle, within the circle is a quatre-foil, enclosing a most elegant foliage design, in the centre is an octagonal flower, in the cusps formed by the quatre-foil are figures of hares playing, in the corners of the tile are two pigeons, facing each other, with a cross, with double head, issuing from their beaks, like Sir John Port’s crest. A second is similar to this, but the centre is wanting. A third, also circular, still more elaborate, with dragons in the corners.

There are also some elegant border tiles, with patterns, consisting of undulating or waving foliage, or birds perched on the side of a straight branch, with double circles and pellets between them.

Besides these there are some curious examples of tiles simply indented or stamped, with circles and foliage, and painted within the pattern with green glaze, not filled with “slip,” as the liquid clay was called, and two have a pattern which has evidently been cut or incised with some sharp instrument, not stamped as all the rest have been.

The size of the tiles varies from 10 inches square to 2½ inches square, by 1¾ inches to 1 inch thick. The body-clay is red, the patterns are filled in with white or yellow “slip,” which is brushed or poured over the face of the tile, then the “slip” is scraped off the surface of the tile, leaving “slip” in the pattern. Glazes of various colours, green, yellow, buff, brown, &c. The stamps were most probably made of wood, and vary in size.

The discovery of the tile-kiln enabled Llewellyn Jewitt to localise the manufacture of tiles which he had examined in various churches in Derbyshire, especially at Newton Solney, Thurgaton Priory, and Bakewell. A larger tile-kiln was discovered at Dale Abbey, about thirty-eight years ago, close to the ruins of the gatehouse of that Abbey.

The comparison of the tiles, made there and at Repton, forms another link between them, and proves that, at least, similar stamps were used in the production of the tiles, and it may be, as suggested by Mr. John Ward, F.S.A., (“Mediæval Pavement and Wall Tiles of Derbyshire,” Vol. XIV., of the “Derbyshire Archæological Journal,”) “that stamps were passed on from tilery to tilery, or that companies of tile-wrights, carrying about with them their stamps, &c., temporarily settled down at places where tileries existed.”