(Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)
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Search the Public Notice Portal Work is well underway on bringing Middlesbrough’s Old Town Hall back to life.
Construction crews are transforming the Grade II-listed building, which originally opened in 1846 and was famously depicted in the work of artist LS Lowry.
The £6.3 million scheme includes demolition of a 1970s extension, extensive structural repairs, restoration of the original clock tower, and the creation of new business space.
A marketplace extension will also be built, blending old and new as part of the town’s bicentenary celebrations in 2028.
Now, new pictures have revealed progress at the site, with the old building and clock tower now surrounded by scaffolding.
Work underway at Middlesbrough's Old Town Hall
(Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)
Red steel columns have also been erected beside it as part of the new extension.
The work will allow for the Old Town Hall play a key role in the town’s burgeoning Boho Zone and a “focal point” of the regenerated Middlehaven area.
The Old Town Hall opened in the original heart of Middlesbrough, an area once known as St Hilda’s, in 1846.
Work underway at Middlesbrough's Old Town Hall
(Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)
The area ‘over the border’ 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.
By 1889, civic functions moved to the newly opened and grander town hall on Albert Road.
A postcard of St Hilda's on Market Day from Ernest Burniston's collection.
As the town spread south, the area of St Hilda’s, once the original heart of the town, fell into rapid decline.
The Old Town Hall went on to have a range of uses, including a public library, community centre, and police station, 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.
St Hilda's, the historic centre of old Middlesbrough, as sketched by LS Lowry. The church has gone, but the town hall and clocktower at the far end still cling to existence
The council was awarded funding in 2025 to restore the site, with more than £4.5m of cash from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and £1.8m from the government.
Restoration work began earlier this year.
Work underway at Middlesbrough's Old Town Hall
(Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)
Cllr Theo Furness, executive member for development at Middlesbrough Council, previously said: "The Old Town Hall is one of the real icons of Middlesbrough’s history and heritage, and I’m delighted to see it being brought back into use.
"It’s been a key feature of the town’s skyline for 180 years, and these ambitious plans will ensure it continues to play an important role in the life of the town for many decades to come.
Artist’s impressions of how the restored Old Town Hall will look
(Image: Middlesbrough Council)
"The Old Town Hall is both a potent symbol of Middlesbrough’s industrial heyday, and of the boundless ambition and aspiration we have for the future."
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Middlesbrough Mayor Chris Cooke said: "St Hilda’s was Middlesbrough’s historic heart, and saw our town play a pivotal role in the Industrial Revolution.
"The Old Town Hall survives as a reminder of Middlesbrough’s incredible origins, and its influence will continue as a striking focal point of modern-day Middlehaven."
The restoration is being delivered by contractor Walter Thompson.