The first phase of major restoration work to the floor at St George’s Hall has received the royal seal of approval from Princess Anne.

Work on the first of five areas of the historic Minton tiled floor, which has long been earmarked for restoration work, has been completed with Princess Anne touring the Grade I-listed building, which is a favourite of her brother Prince Charles.

General manager Alan Smith and Lord Mayor of Liverpool, councillor Tony Concepcion, discussed the restoration of the neo-classical building with The Princess Royal, the first major repair to the Great Hall since it opened in 1854.

Alan says: “Our iconic venue is very much a great asset of Liverpool, so it is vital that restoration work is done with great care to protect and preserve its heritage for future generations to enjoy.

“The Princess Royal was extremely enthusiastic and encouraged by the quality and expertise required to replace the tiles. She fully understood the intricacies of the project ahead and wished us well with the remaining phases.”

Left to Right: Lord Mayor of Liverpool Councillor Tony Concepcion, HRH Princess Anne and St George’s Hall General Manager Alan Smith

Seen as one of the best examples of an encaustic tiled floor in the world, five of the Great Circles have worn and suffered faded colours and have therefore been identified as a key area for restoration partially owing to the fact they were the original route into the Crown Court.

Alan adds: “It has cost £73,000 to create the template and produce the distinctive Minton tiles to repair the first circle, this has been raised through the efforts of our dedicated supporters.

“However, we have a long way to go to reach our target and raise the funds required to complete the overall restoration project. We hope our visitors continue to support us in our efforts to maintain one of the city’s most important architectural gems.”

The faded tiles have been replaced with exact replicas featuring the same designs and vibrant colours, marking the completion of the first area. Princess Anne was full of praise about the end result during her trip to the city which included opening a new building at The Walton Centre and visiting the ‘Poppies: Weeping Window’ installation.

The original tiles have been retained and will be displayed to the public in the St George’s Hall Heritage Centre.

Work on the other four areas will follow in 2016 once funds have been secured, with the Trustees of St George’s Hall and The Friends of St George’s Hall raising the £73,000 with support by Liverpool City Council. Restoration on the remaining four phases could take up to 12 months to complete.

Experts Craven Dunnill Jackfield Ltd from Shropshire, have been commissioned to create the bespoke tiles and they will be installed by expert restorer of Minton tiled floors, Brian Joyce from Maw & Co Ltd.

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