For some reason I had missed your update photos Angela. Your hall looks fantastic and the stained glass door is the icing on the cake! Bet it looks great form the inside as well... hint... :)

Hello, Whilst we are only suppliers of flooring, we have picked up advice through years of being in the industry. Generally, it is not recommended to lay flooring on top of existing tiles - you don't know how they've been laid, how secure they are, if there's any underlying issues like damp which you've mentioned, etc etc. If there's no damp proofing, then you don't want to lay something over the top that isn't 'breathable' as this will stop any moisture escaping and can drive it into the walls, and then you're left with an even bigger problems! I think you can get breathable carpet nowadays, made of natural fibres that could work and are breathable, but you would have to be very careful choosing this, especially with underlay. We'd recommend getting a builder/fitter in to assess the floor and give an expert opinion about the best option going forward. Hope this helps a little bit. Sophie // Floors of Stone

Or this, which is fairly similar to the effect you're looking for, but at a much lower price: https://www.victorianplumbing.co.uk/aspect-black-ivory-patterned-floor-tiles-331-x-331mm?FT=5898&pgno=1 Anyway, in these styles there are options galore :-)

I do this as part of my business. Those tiles will need chemically stripped to remove old "restore" style products, polishes, etc. Then the tiles need deep cleaned with a high PH cleaner, rinsed and left to dry for around a week. Then they can be sealed with an impregnating colour enhancing sealant, such as Dry Treat CE. This is a breathable product. These floors were normally matte unless they had an early powder glaze.