Patterns underfoot

Brother Walter the hob asked me why the abbey floors are patterned when all we do is walk on them. I was not sure what to tell him, but seeing the tiles though his eyes made me realise the skill that went into their making.

Countless feet over the years have left them worn and faded but they are still beautiful.

Brother Walter was delighted to find a tile decorated with a hob in a corner of the cloister. I think the tiler meant it to be a very different creature, but I did not say this to him.