We were commissioned to undertake a condition survey of the medieval floor tiles to the chamber above the Chapter House at Lichfield Cathedral and to provide treatment recommendations for their conservation.

The floor of the Chapter House Library is believed to be “an almost intact tiled pavement c.1300 and was laid as a series of seven carpets, each of a different design, with additional panels infilling the two polygonal ends of the building“. This extract was taken from a survey in 1988 by W Rodwell who noted that bookcases were installed onto the floor c.1910 and therefore much of the understanding of the floor was not realised until later. He went on to record “the library floor is not made from stock-in-trade tiles of the regional type found in churches and buildings all over the Midlands. The Lichfield tiles must have been specially commissioned… The library pavement has therefore to be studied as an artefact of singular importance”.

Our survey identified a variation in the designs used with plain green or brown glazed tiles; two colour inlaid tiles; counter relief tiles and line impressed or line incised tiles examples of which are shown below.

The condition of the floor was deemed to be generally good with evidence of damage associated from those area of wear not covered by library furniture. Whilst some evidence of damage associated with historic past repair, notable cementitious pointing was recorded, the removal of such would present a more significant risk than leaving alone.

Recommendations for limited treatment included localised consolidations; repairs to loose pointing mortars and refixing of loose material.