The first major repair project to ever take place in St George’s Hall’s Great Hall is now underway, as restoration work is being carried out on its famous Minton tiled floor.

Replacing faded tiles with exact replicas in a bid to bring the floor’s ‘dramatically faded’ colours back to life, work on the first area is due to be completed next week at the iconic Liverpool building, and four other phases of the restoration are scheduled to take place in the coming months.

Worn original tiles which are removed during the process will be retained and displayed to the public in the Grade I-listed landmark’s heritage centre.

The venue, which originally opened in 1854, is widely regarded as one of the finest neo-classical buildings in the world, and its five Great Circles around the perimeter of the Great Hall have been identified as key areas for restoration.

They form part of the natural walkway around the Great Hall and were originally the route into the Crown Court.

The floor tiles were manufactured by Victorian tile producer, Minton, which also provided tiles for the Palace of Westminster and Washington’s Capitol Building.

Through fundraising efforts of the Trustees of St George’s Hall, The Friends of St George’s Hall, and the support of Liverpool City Council; £73,000 has been raised to create the template and produce the tiles for the repair of the first circle.

Alan Smith, general manager of St George’s Hall Liverpool, says: “Protecting and preserving the Great Hall and its world famous Minton tiled floor is paramount to retaining the history of St George’s Hall Liverpool. The Hall is now fully open and enjoyed by the public, however with that brings the task of introducing repairs to key areas at the main entrance areas.

“The Hall is home to one of the finest examples of an encaustic tiled floor in the world, so to be able to repair the floor to enhance the overall appearance and restore it to its full glory really is fantastic news. On behalf of the public who are going to enjoy the Great Hall for many years to come, I would like to thank our funding partners who have made this possible.

“During the 20th Century, the Minton floor was only shown six times. However, since the hall reopened in 2007 the floor has now been showcased seven times in just nine years. Its increasing popularity shows just how important it is to the people of Liverpool and also as a major tourist attraction for the Liverpool City Region Visitor Economy.”

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