Thornaby Town Hall now stands isolated in the ‘Mandale Triangle’ cut off from Thornaby by the A66.
The clock tower carries an 1892 date with Thornaby’s motto ‘Always Advancing’ the clock itself was donated by Alderman William Anderson and started on January 27th 1892
The foundation stone is very worn but reads that it was laid by John Steel, Chairman of the South Stockton Local Board on October 25th 1890. The architect is James Garry and the contractor W. C. Atkinson.
Thornaby-on-Tees was formed by the combination of South Stockton and Thornaby in 1892, Thornaby-on-Tees Borough Council ceased to exist in 1968 when Teesside was formed and the building fell out of use and became vandalised.
In November 2012 after many years of wrangling the building was sold back to Thornaby Town Council by Stockton Council, they hope to restore it and make it available for commercial and community uses.
Thornaby Town Hall
Show on map
The Town Hall was used by Stockton Councils then Leisure and Amenities Dept in the 1970’s. At that time, in my late teens, I worked as a casual worker, on various projects eg Stockton & Darlington Rail 175 celebrations, an early boy band Flintlock’s performance at the pavilion and even ended up dressed up as Santa sitting in a railway carriage which had been placed in John Walker Square for the Rail 175 celebrations!
By rights it should still be being used by the council the Town Hall was built for – Thornaby-on-Tees Borough Council.
Thornaby was the only town not to regain it’s Borough when Cleveland County was formed on 1 April 1974, it’s a shame what’s happened to this once great Town.