Handmade
Clay Roof Tiles
Perfectly Imperfect Every Time, Every Tile.
For Over 35 Years

Traditionally crafted handmade clay roof tiles,
designed to perform and be sympathetic to rural areas from start to finish.
At Spicer Tiles we have built our reputation on offering a range of traditional and historic options, each and every tile handmade and unique in a craft that goes back thousands of years.

As we like to say, ‘If it was good enough for the Romans, it’s good enough for us’, and the Romans built to last. Designed by our ancestors, perfected by us, with a 30-year product guarantee as standard.

A poor quality roof tile can lead to a host of problems including water ingress, damp walls, mould, or even permanent structural damage to your property which can lead to you spending thousands on repairs.

We have over 35 years of experience manufacturing high quality handmade roof tiles that ensure your house and family are protected for decades.

Handmade Clay Tiles Spicer Tiles UK

How it works
Hand Made Roof Tiles and Hand Made Floor Tiles 01
Contact Us
Speak to us to discuss the needs of your specific project.
Hand Made Roof Tiles and Hand Made Floor Tiles 02
Your Tiles Are Made By Hand
Your tiles are made the Spicer Tiles way, with manufacturing methods that are centuries old.
Hand Made Roof Tiles and Hand Made Floor Tiles 03
Enjoy Your Roof
Appreciate the character of your roof, with the assurances of a 30-year performance guarantee

We are a family business, keeping traditions alive with manufacturing techniques used for centuries. Our personalised roof tile service includes:

  • Free quantity estimates from drawings
  • Free, no-obligation quotes
  • Free consultation to find the best product for your project
  • Free samples
  • Tile matching capabilities
  • Delivery planning – discuss any logistical issues
  • Fast delivery on stock items
  • Help finding a suitable roofing contractor
  • 30-year product guarantee
Why choose Spicer Tiles
Experience
35 yearsof handmade tiles
With over 35 years experience of supplying tiles throughout the UK, you can be sure that all Spicer Tiles are produced with the most authentic hand-making processes, to the highest quality.
Trust
  • 4.7

Based on 14 reviews

You can be rest assured that we supply only the highest quality roof and floor tiles that will protect your property for decades to come.
Our Promise
Our handmade roof and floor tiles are regularly tested, meaning we are comfortable offering you a 30 year guarantee, meaning you can relax knowing your property and family are protected.

Our History

Roman influence

Roman attention to detail and engineering genius has long been an inspiration to those of us who follow in their footsteps, and the first handmade tiles would have been made in Britain over two millennia ago. Some might suggest we are pushing our luck claiming that as a start point, but we Spicers love our history so we’re sticking to it.

The Beginning

Andrew Spicer left school and started his career in the roofing industry at the tender age of 15. Shortly after, he was disciplined by his boss for throwing old pegs in the skip, without realising their true value. From this point on Andrew wondered why something so old and rustic could be so valuable, and how hard could it be to make…

The Discovery

After years of wondering how they were made, and no access to the internet Andrew was on a forest walk with a friend when he noticed a spot where a fire once was. The earth around the fire was brown in colour, the closer to the centre of the fire, the more orange the earth was. Andrew realised, this was the fired clay.

Fired Clay

Andrew decided to test the theory of the fired clay. He made a tile out of wet clay and put it into a garden fire to make his finished product. This tile exploded, heating up too quickly, sealing the outside and not allowing the moisture to escape. He there, realised he needed to dry the tile first. After destroying his Mothers microwave he realised the tile needed to be dried much slower, so he utilised his Fathers greenhouse – a warm, damp environment, perfect for drying clay. After many attempts he had all but given up when one day he was cleaning out his mothers Parkray stove when the griddle wouldn’t move, after removing the ash he found a fired tile. It wasn’t fully fired but the tile stayed whole, with no cracks, and the orange colour had started to come through. From here Andrew and Jane bought a small kiln and produced enough tiles to showcase to local tradesmen.

Spicer Tiles Begins

Andrew and Jane decided there could be a viable business in producing roof tiles, and with the help of Jane’s parents, Ray and Cynthia, they created Spicer Tiles and moved into our first business premises in Wittersham, located in rural Kent. We sourced a gas kiln from Wales and started production on a larger scale using clay from Stoke-on-Trent.

Expand To Meet Demand

Business took off and Spicer Tiles employed 3 people to keep up with demand, supplying the roofing community with traditional brand new Kent peg tiles and fittings, produced to look old.

The Storm

After a moderate storm, part of the roof on the production facility collapsed, but due to high demand of tiles caused by the storm we had no staff available to fix it for weeks.

Moving To A Chicken Farm

Spicer Tiles outgrew the premises in Wittersham and needed to expand to keep up with demand. We found an old chicken farm in Bethersden with ample yard space and decided to make the move, installing the gas kiln from Wittersham but also installing two second hand electric kilns to increase our production.

New Kiln

A new gas kiln was installed to replace the old kiln, this time slightly bigger to once again cater for increased demand. By this point, we had 8 employees and was running at full capacity, producing 30,000 tiles per month.

Adam Joins

After being around the family business his whole life, it was time for Spicer Tiles to officially employ Adam Spicer, son of Andrew and Jane. Adam was a tile moulder for 2 years then moved on to other areas of production until eventually moving to a sales role within the company.

Experimenting With Sawdust

We decided it was time to experiment with something new. We had an unlimited supply of sawdust from local saw mills, and an idea to use it as fuel to fire a kiln. We developed a kiln with a high power fan and a combustion chamber to ignite the sawdust. The heat was transferred to the firing chamber and the tiles were fired to over 1000°c.

Grow Again

After much experimentation it was concluded that a sawdust firing kiln could not give a consistent firing without considerable investment in space and machinery to ensure the continuous quality of sawdust. But with the ever-burning enthusiasm to produce more tiles. We decided it was time to grow again.

Rebrand & Relocate

Joining with another company, the Spicer’s expanded, rebranded, and relocated to New Romney, with 21,000 sq/ft of inside working area and 10,000 sq/ft of yard space. Adding additional tiles, with a range of widely accepted sand-faced tiles, the company now employed 45 people and had a facility capable of producing 300,000 tiles per month.

Improving Quality

Heavy investment meant we could invest in state of the art clay preparation and a brand new electric kiln, reducing waste and improving product quality.

The Spicer’s

The Spicer’s reverted back to being a family business, and once again used the trading name which was a well-known and trusted name within the industry – Spicer Tiles. Trading from the same premises in New Romney, the Spicer’s invite anyone along for a factory tour to see the love and hard work which goes into the products.

Energy Crisis of 2022

We have always been a proud British based firm and a supporter of British business. But then came the energy crisis and we were left with three options: Raise our prices, go out of business, or source our tiles from countries less effected. After touring the world Adam found a Turkish roof tile manufacturer who are also a family business. After several months intensive training in the Spicer traditional method, the product is the same high quality, entirely made by the hands of skilled artisans, and our prices as competitive as ever. Even we have to admit, it’s worked out rather well.