Man Returns Medieval Tiles He Stole as Boy 60 Years Ago

Simon White was nine years old when his father stood guard while he pocketed three medieval floor tiles from Wenlock Priory in Shropshire, England. That was 1967, and those stolen pieces have haunted him ever since.

The retired surveyor recently discovered the 700-year-old tiles while searching his attic, tucked inside a vintage 1920s candy tin. After nearly 60 years of moving from house to house and surviving countless family upheavals, the decorative clay tiles from the late 13th to early 14th century were still in pristine condition.

"I can still remember the day this all happened as a youth with my father 'standing guard,'" the 68-year-old told SWNS news agency. "Heaven knows what he would have said if we'd been caught."

White had visited several heritage sites across Shropshire as a child, so pinpointing the tiles' origin took some detective work. He turned to his late mother's detailed diaries and traced the theft to a specific day in 1967 at Wenlock Priory.

When he contacted English Heritage, they confirmed the tiles had indeed come from the 12th-century Anglo-Saxon priory's striking medieval floor. Back in 1967, there was no visitor center or security cameras, and tourists could wander the grounds freely.

The delicious irony wasn't lost on White. Now retired, he's taken up archaeology as a hobby and recently joined a local society. "The local society I've joined is likely to take a dim view of this," he admitted with characteristic British understatement.

Sunny's Take

What makes this story shine isn't just the return of historical artifacts. It's watching someone choose integrity over comfort after six decades. White could have kept quiet, tossed the tiles, or sold them. Instead, he did the harder thing.

One of the returned tiles features a dragon design that experts haven't found elsewhere, adding new knowledge about the site. Matty Cambridge, assistant curator at English Heritage, called the discovery exciting and expressed gratitude for White's honesty.

"We are all custodians of these heritage sites and we should preserve them for future generations," White said. The tiles will remain at Wenlock Priory, though they may be moved temporarily for further study.

English Heritage hopes White's example might inspire others to return artifacts taken years ago. Sometimes doing the right thing just takes a little longer than expected.