Located in Middlegate Street at the historic Headland area of Hartlepool, the Borough Hall was opened in 1866.
The central arch leads into what was formerly the Market Hall. In 1926 it was converted into a Council Chamber for Hartlepool and a dance hall with a capacity for 2,000 people. Over the next almost 100 years it has little in terms of its design but greatly in terms of its function currently being an entertainment venue with meeting rooms, offices, a library and a wedding venue. The main auditorium has a capacity of 1,200 and has lift access from the entrance.
The building has a separate bar, Constables Bar, accessible from the main street that can be accessible to the main auditorium at events; there is also a temporary bar on the ground floor and a well maintained kitchen. The cellar lies in the basement of Constables Bar and is not accessible directly from the main auditorium. There are male, female and accessible toilets on the ground floor, in the auditorium and in the main bar. The balcony is accessible from the East and West areas of the main auditorium.
On the first floor of the South-East wing of the Borough Hall boasts a Mayor’s Parlour and Mayors Chamber that has a 100 capacity. Moving towards the South-West of the first floor the building accumulates a core of smaller rooms that are not in use or for small meetings/storage areas. There is also a large room, Sandwellgate Room, which is a meeting room and Middlegate Room, which provides registrars wedding services.
