Tiles.

Dale has the largest and most interesting collection in the county (W92).

*2 ovens’kilns were found in May 1845 on the premises of Mr William Hollingworth;  several tessellated bricks were found in them (BAGSHAW Derbyshire 1846 pp. 172-3, also the reminiscences of Maud Hollingworth)
* A tilekiln was discovered in a stackyard near the gatehouse *in May 1845 (WHITE) *about 1860 (H80, WARD92) (beneath an outbuilding belonging to the Abbey (FOX 72));  many tiles were found (H80);  these were broken up to mend the roads.  Tiles inside the kiln had been burnt.  It was a tunnel-like brick structure about 12' long, wide and high enough for a man to crawl along (WARD92).  The Repton kiln used charcoal for firing (W92).

Kilns were also found at Lenton Abbey and Repton with Dale pattern tiles.  Might this suggest a peripatetic guild of tile-makers? (HOPE) This is borne out by the fact that there are few local armorial tiles (e.g. Dale Abbey's Cantilupe tiles are also found at Morley, Ashbourne, Wirksworth, Thurgarton and Rossington, Yorks).  Were they struck to commemorate the gift of the Rectory of Ilkeston (1386) and used elsewhere purely as decoration? (W92)

There are several series of tiles:
(a) one distributed through Leicester, Nottingham and Derby;  many of these were found in the Repton kiln, also in the 4 kilns at George Street, Nottingham.  The same types appear at Dale Abbey and there are some at York, Hull Aldgate (Rutland) and Coventry.
(b) Malvern series found at Newton Solney (2 series (a) and (b) do not mix) (C38) and at Lenton Abbey/Priory (C38).
(c) East Midland series found at Dale, Morley (mostly) and many at Ashbourne, Repton and Wirksworth, which also have representatives of another series (also found at Bakewell and Lichfield). A few erratics at Dale (D21, E15, 17, E14, 16).
The Tideswell tiles are similar to those at Croxden Abbey and in Shropshire, and those at Fenny Bentley resemble those at Tutbury.
The different series cannot be dated.  Tiles generally are from the latter part of the 14th century and the first quarter of the 15th century.

Patterns:  Ward identified more than 60 different ones: some heraldic (HOPE mentioned 19 of these).  Some are decoratively complete in themselves, others are complete in 4 or 16;  some have elaborate connecting links.