THE rare Minton tiles in St George’s Hall are going to be open to the public for a limited time next month.

The last time the tiles were uncovered in 2007, more than 27,000 visitors flocked to the hall.

The floor is made up of 30,000 individual tiles. Laid in 1852, at a cost of £3,000, it was designed by Alfred Stevens, the 34-year-old son of a Blandford house decorator.

The hand-crafted tiles depict tritons, sea nymphs and boys on dolphins, as well as the city's coat of arms.

They have been covered since the 1860s, and were last uncovered in April, 2007, following the completion of the £23m hall restoration. The city council’s executive member for tourism, Cllr Gary Millar, said: “St George’s Hall is one of Liverpool’s greatest cultural assets and we want to do everything we can to encourage as many people as possible to visit this amazing building.

“There are huge numbers of people who now want to see the inside and the beautiful Minton tiles up close.”

The hall will be open from January 30 to February 15 10am to 5pm, with a £1 admission fee.

FOR more stories on Merseyside’s rich history, go to liverpooldailypost.co.uk /heritage