One of Liverpool's rarely seen gems is being unveiled in the New Year.

The exquisite Minton Floor in the Great Hall of St George's Hall will be on public display from Saturday 7 to Sunday 22 January – uncovered for the first time since January 2009.

And for the first time in more than ten years, visitors who pre-book a tour will be given special shoe coverings and get the opportunity to walk across the floor.

Consisting of 30,000 beautifully hand crafted rare tiles, the immaculately preserved surface depicts the city’s coat of arms, sea nymphs, boys on dolphins and tritons.

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The mosaic was covered in the 1860s to provide a more hardwearing surface for dancing and has only been unveiled a handful of times since.

Liverpool's Lord Mayor, Councillor Frank Prendergast, will get a sneak-peek on Wednesday 4 January when he joins a specialist team to help them uncover the floor.

Councillor Prendergast said: "Everywhere you go in St. George’s Hall there is a stunning architecture or a stunning piece of art on display, but the Minton tiles are particularly special as they aren’t on permanent display so it’s a real treat to see the beautiful detail of the floor up close.

"The Hall is one of Liverpool’s greatest cultural assets and we want to do as much as we can to encourage people to come and visit this Grade I listed building.

"Many people don’t realise what a gem they have on their doorstep, so we hope by unveiling the floor once again we’ll attract thousands of new visitors who will come and experience the fantastic culture and history the Hall has to offer."

(CD/GK)