Middlesbrough's Old Town Hall was built in 1846 by the architect William Lambie Moffatt. It stands 'over the border' in the heart of the area known to many as St. Hilda's. It was in this area where the town of Middlesbrough began.
The Old Town Hall is built in an Italianate style, and is Grade II listed.
It was once the heart of civic life in the town, but the town grew and expanded so quickly that a new, bigger town hall was built in the 1880s.
The Old Town Hall had a range of uses over the next century, most recently as a library and community centre, but was closed in 1996. Since then, the building has fallen into disrepair and was added to the SAVE heritage at risk register in 2018.
In early 2024, we successfully applied for funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to help us put together a plan to save the Old Town Hall. We then applied for a full grant which would allow us to bring the building back to life and give it a new use.
We're excited to say that we've been awarded more than £4.5m of funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players. Along with £1.8m of existing government funding, this will let us restore the Old Town Hall for the 21st century.
The project will include structural work on the building, the demolition of the 1960s modifications, and a new, modern extension. The original clock tower will also be restored and brought back into working order.
Once the work is finished, the Old Town Hall will become office space for businesses in the digital sector.
