Shrewsbury: Rare tiles found during cathedral restoration work

Restoration work at Shrewsbury Cathedral has uncovered beautiful tiles dating from the late Victorian period and turn of the century.
The tiles in the Cathedral have been hidden by carpets and an artificial floor following the reordering of the building's interior at that time.

The concealed floor appears to consist of a mixture of highly-decorative mosaic and encaustic or "inlaid" tiles.
They were uncovered by workmen of M. Salt Limited, a conservation specialist, when a project to recover the original beauty of the Cathedral was initiated on March 2.

Most of the tiles are in a very good condition but there is some damage to the flooring in places where piping was elevated, where concrete was used to filled spaces, and boxes of cables for the electric lights were laid.

The Rt Rev Mark Davies, the Bishop of Shrewsbury, said: "It is always an amazing moment to see something that has been hidden from sight for generations suddenly uncovered.

"I found it particularly moving to find the floor of Shrewsbury Cathedral so well-preserved and giving testimony in all of its intricacy and beauty to the faith and sacrifices of generations before us.

"We look forward to being able to share this beauty with all who come to the Cathedral."

Richard Keddie, the development officer of Shrewsbury Cathedral, said: "The project is about rediscovering beauty.

"The reordering has been spearheaded by a dedicated team here at the Cathedral, who, under the guidance of Bishop Mark Davies, has worked with various heritage and Church bodies to deliver a sustainable and future-proofing project. Being a once in a lifetime opportunity, the Cathedral, a place of immense historical and religious importance, will certainly add value to our local and regional communities as well as offering enhanced pastoral outreach."

The tiled floor will be cleaned in time for the liturgies of Holy Week when the Cathedral will be reopened in its entirety to the public.
In the meantime, the tiles and other parts of the restorations can be seen by the public from the viewing gallery on Saturdays from 12 noon and Sundays from 8.30am.

In the months ahead, the Cathedral will seek the guidance and advice of the Historic Churches Committee of the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales and of the Diocesan Heritage, Art, and Architecture Committee about proposals for the renewal of the sanctuary, hoping wherever possible to be inspired by the original design.

The Cathedral Church of Our Lady Help of Christians and St Peter of Alcantara was begun in 1853 and opened by Cardinal Nicholas Wiseman in 1856. The original design for the Cathedral was drawn up by Augustus Welby Pugin at the request of John Talbot, the 16th Earl of Shrewsbury. Both the Earl and AW Pugin died in 1852 before the Cathedral was off the drawing board but the Earl's 20 year-old-heir, Bertram, was happy to continue the project and turned to Pugin's eldest son, Edward, to complete his father's work. Bertram died, aged 23, two months before the Cathedral was completed.

Today the Cathedral is home to a thriving parish community as well as serving the diocese as the mother church. It is from his cathedra in the Cathedral that Bishop Davies presides over the Diocese of Shrewsbury, preaching, teaching and celebrating the sacraments.
One of the greatest treasures of the Cathedral is the stained glass. Seven of the windows are masterpieces in the Arts and Crafts tradition by Margaret Rope, an artist born in Shrewsbury in 1882 who later became a Carmelite nun, but who continued to design and paint glass for many commissions both in the UK and abroad. Visitors travel great distances to see her work in Shrewsbury Cathedral.