Borough Buildings and Borough Hall

Borough Hall stands on the Headland in Hartlepool, a coastal town in County Durham. It is a Grade II listed municipal building, once the meeting place of the old Hartlepool Borough Council. The site was chosen in the 19th century for a new market hall that would also serve as council headquarters. Charles J. Adams designed the building in the Italianate style, completed in 1866 at a cost of £5,000. The symmetrical frontage features an eleven-bay elevation with a central tower topped by a spire. The building originally housed a market hall, courtroom, police station and offices for borough officials. In 1926 the market hall was converted into a dance hall with Art Deco decoration and a proscenium arch. A dedicated council chamber was added at the same time. The hall continued as the council’s headquarters until 1967, when the two Hartlepool councils merged. Today the building serves as an events venue. Notable performers have included Morrissey, who appeared there in 2009. The BBC’s Question Time was broadcast from the hall in 2016. The interior retains its Italianate detailing alongside later Art Deco features. Visitors can admire the ornate carvings, fanlights and the historic coat of arms above the main entrance.