Last month, we pulled back a door mat at Boveney church and revealed a tile stamped with the maker’s name: Garrett Brothers, Burslem.

Not one of the usual tile makers, we did some research, and discovered their business took an interesting route into... ferns.

#thread

Garrett Brothers, Brownhills, Burslem, Staffordshire

It seems that the firm only operated for a few years in the 1860s. A trade directory of 1864 describes their business as ...

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& #39;Blue Metallic tileries, near Burslem … and 16 south Wharf, Paddington, London; Paving and ridge tiles … stable Bricks, Garden edging etc … also improved pressed flooring tiles for churches, entrance halls, conservatories, dairies &c.& #39;

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They presumably sold tiles nationwide. As well as being found in the nave of our little church at Boveney, Windsor, their chequerboard tiles can also be seen at St Mary& #39;s, South Wootton, near King& #39;s Lynn.

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Garretts also manufactured Watsonian Patent Fern Bricks.
Patented by a doctor in 1859, these bricks were designed for planting ferns and mosses, to be hung on their own, built into walls, or even placed indoors on a table.

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="📸" title="Kamera mit Blitz" aria-label="Emoji: Kamera mit Blitz"> Fernery, Newstead Abbey, Notts
© Alan Murray-Rust
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