SLA TES. 493 



generally a little more than lath-nails,) though no shingles 

 are quoted. 



Some entries of tiles are, from the largeness of the price, 

 exceedingly difficult of interpretation. Thus I cannot explain 

 the rate of 7*. 6d. the thousand at Wolford in the year 1341, or 

 of others at Oxford in 1389 at 15*. The price is too high for 

 plain tiles, too low for the more valuable, crests, gutters, and 

 corners. It is possible, though no hint is given of such a 

 purpose in the original, that these entries refer to floor tiles, 

 such as those which still exist, almost as fresh as when they 

 were first laid by Wykeham's builders, in the muniment-room 

 at New College. 



SLATES. In those parts of England where stone is easily 

 laminated the use of plates of such stone for the purpose of 

 roofing houses is general. Thus many of the oolites in the 

 neighbourhood of Oxford are fissile, and have been employed 

 for roofing from the earliest times, the best stone of this 

 character having been obtained from the Stonesfield quarries. 

 Hence, as a rule, the roofing material of Woodstock, Oxford, 

 and Heyford Warren, and probably that also which is quoted 

 at Tingewick and Radcliff in Bucks, and at Wolford in War- 

 wickshire, was derived from these celebrated quarries, once so 

 celebrated but now nearly deserted. Although, however, new 

 buildings in Oxford are, as a rule, roofed with Welsh slate, 

 most of the more ancient structures are covered with the pro- 

 duce of the Stonesfield quarry, and as the material is almost 

 indestructible, it is probable that a very long time will elapse 

 before it will be wholly disused. 



It is clear, from the prices given, that this slate was split 

 into at least three sizes. There is a small size, fifteen entries 

 of which, before the Plague, give an average of is. 3^. the 

 thousand, and fifteen entries, after that time, of y. Again, 

 there is another size, seven entries of which average about 

 4*. $\d. before the Plague, and seem to be represented by 

 twelve entries afterwards, at 5*. 10^. There is a third price, . 

 three entries of which, before the same period, give an average 



