A childhood theft that weighed on one man's conscience for nearly 60 years has finally been set right. Simon White, now 68 years old, recently returned three Medieval floor tiles to Wenlock Priory in Shropshire, England after discovering them in his attic—still stored in the same 1920s Thorne's Creme Toffee tin where they had been kept since 1967.
The decorative clay tiles, dating from the late 13th to early 14th century, were taken by White when he was just nine years old during a family vacation to the historic site. The retired surveyor from Hampshire admitted that his father actively encouraged the theft, standing guard while the young boy pocketed the artifacts.
"I can still remember the day this all happened as a youth with my father 'standing guard'," White told SWNS news agency. "Heaven knows what he would have said if we'd been caught. He literally stood over me while actively encouraging me to take these tiles. I stole three of them, which in hindsight was a dreadful thing to do."
The circumstances of the theft reflect a different era in heritage site management. White recalled that in 1967, Wenlock Priory had no visitor centre or CCTV surveillance, allowing tourists to wander the grounds freely without supervision or admission fees.
The tiles survived numerous house moves and family upheavals over the decades before White rediscovered them three months ago while searching his loft for an old jacket. The father-of-two had not seen the artifacts in 59 years and initially struggled to remember their exact origin, having visited several heritage sites across Shropshire during his childhood in Stoke-on-Trent.
White turned to an unexpected resource to solve the mystery: his mother's detailed diaries. By consulting her records, he was able to pinpoint a specific day in 1967 when the family had visited Wenlock Priory. After contacting English Heritage, officials confirmed that the three decorative tiles had indeed been part of the priory's striking Medieval floor.
The irony of the situation was not lost on White, who noted that he has taken up archaeology as a retirement hobby. "The delicious irony of this is, now that I'm retired, one of my hobbies is archeology and the local society I've joined is likely to take a dim view of this," he said.
White expressed relief at returning the tiles, which remain in pristine condition despite their age. "All the other tiles there have been walked upon but mine are still in pristine condition, I was very pleased to hand them back," he explained. "It was an awful thing to do, as I believe we are all custodians of these heritage sites and we should preserve them for future generations."
Matty Cambridge, assistant curator at English Heritage, welcomed the return of the historical artifacts. "We are thrilled to see the safe return of these pieces of history to Wenlock Priory and are very grateful to Mr White for coming forward with his discovery," Cambridge stated.
Cambridge explained that tiles of these particular designs are only known to exist at three locations: Haughmond Abbey, Bridgnorth Friary, and Wenlock Priory. The tiles would have been locally manufactured in Shropshire during the Medieval period.
One of the returned tiles features a dragon design for which English Heritage has not yet found an exact parallel among known examples. "It's very similar to a known fragment of tile showing a swan and could indicate that this is the other half of the same design or part of a set," Cambridge noted, adding that the discovery enhances knowledge of the site.
The tiles will remain at Wenlock Priory but may be transferred to the English Heritage archaeology store for additional analysis. Cambridge described the tiled floors at the site as featuring various designs including heraldry, floral motifs, and animals, calling them "one of the highlights of visiting this special place."
While acknowledging that it is not uncommon for mementos to have been taken from historic buildings over the years, Cambridge noted the unusual nature of this case. "It is unusual in this case that the artifacts were kept so well for so long and preserved," the curator observed.
English Heritage is hopeful that White's example might inspire others to come forward. "If Mr White's example pricks anyone else's conscience from years ago, we'd love to hear from them," Cambridge said.
Wenlock Priory boasts a history extending back to AD 680, when it was established as an Anglo-Saxon monastery. Following the Norman Conquest, it was re-founded as a Cluniac priory. Today, the impressive ruins are maintained by English Heritage and are celebrated for their architectural remains and elaborate decorative features, including the 12th century Chapter House and Cloister Garden with an unusual octagonal lavabo, which was used for ritual hand washing during religious ceremonies.