16/11/2017
To coincide with the #ExploreYourArchives launch week 2017, we’ve selected images from the Historic Environment Scotland archive to celebrate the ancient art of ceramic tiles. From mosaic floors to art deco bathrooms, in churches, stately homes and tenements, we’ve got it all.
Scotland has a long and rich pottery heritage, with large industrial pottery works across the country such as: Govencroft Pottery, Glasgow; Sinclairtown Pottery, Kirkcaldy; Longpark Pottery Works, Kilmarnock; and the well-known Thistle Pottery Works in Portobello and Dunmore Pottery, Stirlingshire to name a few. Thistle Pottery was founded in Portobello, Edinburgh in 1770 and was owned by the Buchan family from 1867 and what remains of Thistle Pottery can still be seen today near Portobello’s esplanade. From the early 19th Century, Dunmore Pottery made tiles and domestic ware using local clay from Dunmore Moss, and superior clay from Devon and Cornwall. Much of Dunmore’s pottery can be identified by its bright and rich slips and glazes, and is now quite a collector’s item.
The HES Archive can be consulted in our Search Room and through our online resources. This includes Canmore where new images and information are added every day through ongoing surveys of Scotland's built heritage, as well as through an active digitisation programme of negatives, prints and drawings.
SC 356470
View of interior. Detail of reconstructed section of tiled dado in Manager's House, Dunmore Pottery.
© RCAHMS
SC 356472
View of Interior. Detail of tiled fireplace and overmantel in Manager's House, Dunmore Pottery
© RCAHMS
SC 356473
View of interior. Detail of tiled soffit of fireplace mantel-shelf in Manager's House, Dunmore Pottery
© RCAHMS
SC 707695
Detail of right-hand tile of fireplace, North-East apartment, first floor, Caldergrove House Digital image of GW 5703 CN.
© RCAHMS
SC 1044441
Detail of Dutch tiles in fireplace. Ground floor, breakfast room, 25 Learmonth Terrace
© RCAHMS
DP 020283
Interior. Office block. Ground floor. Detail of original encaustic-tile floor in the Gothic revival style.
© RCAHMS
SC 1054088
View of interior. Gentlemen's toilet, detail of Vitrolite panelling
© Crown Copyright: HES
SC 1054094
View of interior. First floor, North bathroom, detail of Vitrolite panelling
© Crown Copyright: HES
DP 037886
10 Lowther Terrace, Glasgow, ground floor. Ante room. Detail of fireplace tiles.
© Crown Copyright: HES
DP 103629
Detail of tiling at shop front entrance to 39 Victoria Street, Rothesay, Bute
© Crown Copyright: HES
DP 132338
Detail of tiling in ladies' toilets, Union Terrace Gardens, Aberdeen
© Crown Copyright: HES
SC 1323449
Kellas House, detail of drawing room fireplace showing delft tiles, grate, fender and mantleshelf
© Crown Copyright: HES
DP 192011
Interior, detail of tiles in main hall. Viewforth High School, Kirkaldy
© Crown Copyright: HES
DP 192012
Interior, detail of tiles in main hall. Viewforth High School, Kirkcaldy
© Crown Copyright: HES
DP 197886
Dining hall, ground floor, detail of ceramic panel on south wall. The Mary Erskine School
© Crown Copyright: HES
DP 200897
1st floor, bedroom no.2 on plan, detail of fireplace. Windyhill, Kilmacolm
© Crown Copyright: HES
DP 200900
1st floor, bedroom no.4 on plan, detail of fireplace. Windyhill, Kilmacolm
© Crown Copyright: HES
DP 210959
Queen's Craig House, ground Floor, room 3. Detail of William De Morgan tiles within fireplace.
© Crown Copyright: HES
DP 225321
Kilbowie House, ground floor. Detail of decorative tiles on right side of hall fireplace.
© Crown Copyright: HES
DP 225324
Kilbowie House, ground floor. Detail of decorative tiles on fireplace in drawing room 1.
© Crown Copyright: HES
DP 225330
Kilbowie House, ground floor. Detail of decorative tiles on right side of parlour fireplace.
© Crown Copyright: HES
DP 227478
Detail of Sanctuary floor tiles. St Gregory's Roman Catholic Church
© Historic Environment Scotland
DP 245718
View of Chancel. Detail of terrazzo flooring. Coats Memorial Church, Paisley
© Historic Environment Scotland
DP 245725
View of entrance vestibule. Detail of mosaic flooring. Coats Memorial Church, Paisley
© Historic Environment Scotland
DP 245752
View of west withdrawing room closet. Lavatory and tilework. Coats Memorial Church, Paisley
© Historic Environment Scotland
DP 245759
West withdrawing room. Detail of towel rail. Coats Memorial Church, Paisley
© Historic Environment Scotland
DP 253184
First floor. Gallery. Detail of laurel leaf tiles. Calder Street Public Baths and Washhouse, Glasgow
© Historic Environment Scotland
SC 1572482
Interior. Detail of a memorial to 'George Richard Mackarness D.D., Bishop of Argyll ad the Isles, 1873-1883'.
© Crown Copyright: HES
SC 356470
View of interior. Detail of reconstructed section of tiled dado in Manager's House, Dunmore Pottery.
© RCAHMS
SC 356472
View of Interior. Detail of tiled fireplace and overmantel in Manager's House, Dunmore Pottery
© RCAHMS
SC 356473
View of interior. Detail of tiled soffit of fireplace mantel-shelf in Manager's House, Dunmore Pottery
© RCAHMS
SC 707695
Detail of right-hand tile of fireplace, North-East apartment, first floor, Caldergrove House Digital image of GW 5703 CN.
© RCAHMS
SC 1044441
Detail of Dutch tiles in fireplace. Ground floor, breakfast room, 25 Learmonth Terrace
© RCAHMS
DP 020283
Interior. Office block. Ground floor. Detail of original encaustic-tile floor in the Gothic revival style.
© RCAHMS
SC 1054088
View of interior. Gentlemen's toilet, detail of Vitrolite panelling
© Crown Copyright: HES
SC 1054094
View of interior. First floor, North bathroom, detail of Vitrolite panelling
© Crown Copyright: HES
DP 037886
10 Lowther Terrace, Glasgow, ground floor. Ante room. Detail of fireplace tiles.
© Crown Copyright: HES
DP 103629
Detail of tiling at shop front entrance to 39 Victoria Street, Rothesay, Bute
© Crown Copyright: HES
DP 132338
Detail of tiling in ladies' toilets, Union Terrace Gardens, Aberdeen
© Crown Copyright: HES
SC 1323449
Kellas House, detail of drawing room fireplace showing delft tiles, grate, fender and mantleshelf
© Crown Copyright: HES
DP 192011
Interior, detail of tiles in main hall. Viewforth High School, Kirkaldy
© Crown Copyright: HES
DP 192012
Interior, detail of tiles in main hall. Viewforth High School, Kirkcaldy
© Crown Copyright: HES
DP 197886
Dining hall, ground floor, detail of ceramic panel on south wall. The Mary Erskine School
© Crown Copyright: HES
DP 200897
1st floor, bedroom no.2 on plan, detail of fireplace. Windyhill, Kilmacolm
© Crown Copyright: HES
DP 200900
1st floor, bedroom no.4 on plan, detail of fireplace. Windyhill, Kilmacolm
© Crown Copyright: HES
DP 210959
Queen's Craig House, ground Floor, room 3. Detail of William De Morgan tiles within fireplace.
© Crown Copyright: HES
DP 225321
Kilbowie House, ground floor. Detail of decorative tiles on right side of hall fireplace.
© Crown Copyright: HES
DP 225324
Kilbowie House, ground floor. Detail of decorative tiles on fireplace in drawing room 1.
© Crown Copyright: HES
DP 225330
Kilbowie House, ground floor. Detail of decorative tiles on right side of parlour fireplace.
© Crown Copyright: HES
DP 227478
Detail of Sanctuary floor tiles. St Gregory's Roman Catholic Church
© Historic Environment Scotland
DP 245718
View of Chancel. Detail of terrazzo flooring. Coats Memorial Church, Paisley
© Historic Environment Scotland
DP 245725
View of entrance vestibule. Detail of mosaic flooring. Coats Memorial Church, Paisley
© Historic Environment Scotland
DP 245752
View of west withdrawing room closet. Lavatory and tilework. Coats Memorial Church, Paisley
© Historic Environment Scotland
DP 245759
West withdrawing room. Detail of towel rail. Coats Memorial Church, Paisley
© Historic Environment Scotland
DP 253184
First floor. Gallery. Detail of laurel leaf tiles. Calder Street Public Baths and Washhouse, Glasgow
© Historic Environment Scotland
SC 1572482
Interior. Detail of a memorial to 'George Richard Mackarness D.D., Bishop of Argyll ad the Isles, 1873-1883'.
© Crown Copyright: HES