British Listed Buildings

Listing Text

HARTLEPOOL MIDDLEGATE
NZ 5233
(north side)
Headland.
8/81 Borough
Buildings and
Borough Hall

- II

Municipal Buildings and former market hall, the latter now a dance hall;
1865, by C.J. Adams. Brick with stone and white brick dressings; hipped
Welsh slate roofs. Italianate. 2 storeys, eleven bays, with 3-stage
central tower having sprocketed pyramidal roof, square lantern, spire and
metal compass/weather-vane finial. Central wide, round-headed opening in 2
planes, the inner one springing from corbels, now holding mid C20 timber
panelling and doors. 2 round-headed sashed lancets to middle stage of
tower, with plaque in spandrel, bearing civic arms and names of civic
leaders. 2 tall blocked lancets to upper stage above remains of balcony on
corbels. Eaves cornice on stepped brackets. Other bays have round-headed
windows, those to ground floor having timber mullions, transoms and
radiating glazing bars. Paired first-floor windows separated by round
shafts with ornate capitals. Relieving arches above have incised geometric
patterns in the tympana. Double 4-panelled doors to 9th bay under late C19
cast iron balcony. Continuous moulded sills, impost bands and hoodmoulds.
Contemporary single-storey 3-bay extension to right and former market hall
(converted to dance hall 1926) adjoining rear. Moulded and coved cornices
and panelled ceilings to first-floor rooms of Municipal Buildings; and 6
original lock-up cells in rear (west) wing. Hall has Art Deco interior :
quasi Ionic columns supporting continuous gallery on 3 sides, having
panelled parapet ornamented with classical motifs. Colonnade above gallery
has Egyptian-bell capitals. Guilloche moulding to flat proscenium arch.


Listing NGR: NZ5273233772

Source: English Heritage

Listed building text is © Crown Copyright. Reproduced under licence: PSI Click-use licence number C2008002006.