Blue and white Valencian tiles recently discovered by two divers have been authenticated by experts at the Museum of London as dating back to the late 15th and 16th Century.
The fragments of Valencian tile are of Spanish origin and were discovered by the divers during the excavation of a Tudor palace in Surrey.
It appears that the tiles were laid over 400 years ago, while the manor house was receiving renovation work to extend the grounds.
Rob Poulton, of Surrey County Archaeological Unit, said, “They are very important finds. We are now able to see that during the late 15th Century a range of new brick-built buildings were constructed as part of an enlargement and transformation of the palace.”
Although the site of the river is now just a rural area, it was once a grand and busy space. Mr Poulton said that the area used to be a large and highly populated complex that was grand enough to accommodate the king and his entourage.
In fact the King, both Henry VII and Henry VIII, actually visited the area on numerous occasions throughout their lives.
Mr Poulton added, “Woking would have been one of the stops in the summer for what was essentially a hunting party. It is hard to overestimate just how popular hunting was with the Tudor kings and their medieval forebears.”
In recent years, Surrey has been the location of a lot of archaeological digs and many tiles have also been discovered in Guildford, Billericay and Dartford.
