The legacy of building a church on a marsh is all too obvious on the worn and damaged surfaces of these medieval encaustic tiles in the pavement of the mid-13th century Parish Church of Saint Augustine at Brookland, Kent, England, UK. Although the church was built around 1250 on an artificial mound, the site stands in low-lying Walland Marsh, part of Romney Marsh with its dykes, ditches and low-lying fields. Over the centuries, parts of the church have suffered from damp and subsidence, with walls leaning well out of true.
Brookland, Kent, England, United Kingdom: the legacy of building a church on a marsh is all too obvious on the worn and damaged surfaces of these medieval encaustic tiles in the pavement of the mid-13th century Parish Church of Saint Augustine. Although the church was built on a mound, the site stands in low-lying Walland Marsh, part of Romney Marsh with its dykes, ditches and fields often flooded in winter. St Augustine’s church, dedicated to the first Archbishop of Canterbury, was constructed around 1250. Because of the likelihood of flooding, it was built on an artificial mound and with a detached square bell tower. But over the centuries, parts of the church have suffered from damp and subsidence, with walls leaning well out of true. Medieval encaustic tiles were made of clay and fired in wood burning kilns to produce a hard glaze on the top surface. They were often decorated with simple inlaid patterns, typically picked out in yellow or white. The hard, glasslike finish caused by vitrification during the firing process made the surface very durable, unlike the softer clay beneath. However, many medieval encaustic tiles have had to withstand centuries of wear from thousands of worshippers’ feet, as well as occasional floods or even fires. Most now have worn and broken surfaces. Original encaustic tiles made by medieval craftsmen survive in many cathedrals, churches and some ancient homes in the United Kingdom and in mainland Europe. In the UK, the 19th Century reign of Queen Victoria saw a revival of the craft, with decorative Minton encaustic tiles made in Staffordshire either replacing worn original tiles in parish churches or used for decorative flooring in many Victorian homes.
Size: 3872px × 2592px
Location: Parish Church of St Augustine, Brookland, Kent, England, United Kingdom
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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