ADVERTISEMENT 12 Top: A salvaged peg tile - over 100years old and good for centuries to come. Bottom: new pressed clay tilesfrom France (the nearest match yet for the old Ely tiles) mixed in with a great majority of salvaged tiles. Note the number of tiles with original peg holes showing, after being turned; the cut tile and the tile and a half (at least it isa clay one) show some of the problems of mixing tiles of different sizes. 2) have at least three-quarters of every side intact 3) have no serious pitting in top or bottom face, more than a third of total thickness 4) are not obviously crumbling or delaminating 5) are free of incrustations of hard cement which cannot be removed. Tiles which are insufficiently intact to do their normal job may, if otherwise sound, be trimmed to form half tiles useful for traditional detailing (eaves tiles, half tile verges and abutments). Every sound tile salvaged means one less will have to be found elsewhere; new tiles, however good, can never provide an immediate match for those which have stood the tests of time by long exposure on a roof Eachpeg tile is both an antique and a scarceresource, and should be treated as such. Efficient salvage of materials for reuse on the same building achieves the wider aims of conservation in terms of good husbandry of scarce resources. Sufficient tiles still have to be found for "making up"; the Ely Preservation Trust's aim is to remanufacture vernacular tiles to meet this demand. John Preston is Conservation Officer with Cambridge City Council. CONTEXT24
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