Liverpool Photo Gallery - St George's Hall

St George's Hall is a beautiful neo-classical building just across the street from Lime Street station. The foundation stone was laid in 1838 with construction beginning in 1842. The original idea was a facility for music festivals, but eventually a courthouse got into the plans. The same architect was employed to design both and to save money, he hit two birds with one stone. The hall costed over 300,000 pounds and opened in 1854. To see the interiors, you need to pay for a guided tour, which lasts about 70 minutes and doesn't happen often. So I planned my day around it. The tour begins in the holding cells for criminals awaiting trial. Back in those days, criminals of all types were stuffed into these holding cells and a lot of these were young boys committing relatively minor crimes but will soon face their fate in the court room upstairs. Some of their graffiti can still be seen today on the walls. Behind the courthouse, a grand set of windows leads you to the Great Hall. On the other side of the Great Hall is the 2nd courthouse. Perhaps the judges can see each other when they are seated. One courthouse is for Crown cases while the other is for civil trials. The Great Hall was primarily used for music festivals and stretches 169 feet long and 74 feet wide and adorned with 12 statues of historic figures. It also has Britain's third biggest pipe organ and a floor made of 30,000 hand-crafted Minton tiles that features the Liver Bird and maritime themes. To protect it, the tiles are covered most of the time, including during my visit. The massive building has the country's first air-conditioning system for a public building. Fresh air enters the eastern portico through shafts and it then is redirected around the building. In the Great Hall, there are openings on the ceiling masked by the decor where the air exits. The real Minton tiles are hidden under the wood platform. Then it's a quick break in this grand entrance area before continuing to the final room of the tour. The Concert Room was described by Charles Dickens as "the most perfect room in the world" with Corinthian columns, crystal chandelier, and a decorated ceiling. While the tour was a little expensive at 15 pounds, it was well worth the money. The building's interiors are beautiful and only accessible this way as self-guided visits are not allowed.