Middlesbrough's Old Town Hall - Time Capsule Rediscovered

Just days into the restoration of Middlesbrough’s Old Town Hall for Middlesbrough Council, the project team made a remarkable discovery.

Hidden within the clock tower’s foundation stone—originally laid in 1858 by Mayor Henry Thompson—a Victorian time capsule was uncovered, untouched for more than 160 years. Carefully sealed inside a jar, the contents offered a rare glimpse into the town’s early history.

Among the items discovered were a copy of the Darlington & Stockton Times dated 25 September 1858, preserved in notable condition; a handwritten parchment signed by key figures in Middlesbrough’s development, including Henry Bolckow, John Vaughan and Isaac Wilson; the original architectural drawings for the clock tower; and an 1857 silver threepenny coin bearing the image Queen Victoria. The parchment provides a vivid account of Middlesbrough in its early years, describing a settlement that, only a few decades before the Town Hall was built, consisted of little more than a single farmhouse and surrounding farmland. It also notes that the clock tower bell was cast from the same mould as one installed at Balmoral Castle for Queen Victoria.

Group Ginger is leading the wider transformation of the Grade II-listed building, which will be redeveloped into high-quality commercial space. The project includes restoration of the historic clock tower, removal of a later 20th-century extension, essential structural repairs, and the addition of a new extension.