Cleeve Abbey tiles to be covered?

The tiled refectory pavement at Cleeve Abbey in Washford has been compared to the floor of the Chapter House at Westminster Abbey as one of the finest examples visible to the public.

But experts have serious concerns about its continual decay over the past 100 years. It is open to the elements, covered only by a temporary structure in winter and suffers from the difference in temperature between the surface and subsurface of the tiles.

Now English Heritage, which manages the Crown Estate-owned Cistercian abbey, is drawing up plans for a temporary protective cover to enable a climate-controlled monitoring system to be installed. Visitors would have limited access to the pavement but probably only by appointment.

Read the full story here. More on Cleeve Abbey here.

Posted by David on December 29, 2003 10:40 PM