Municipal Buildings

Municipal Buildings in South Shields is the town hall of the borough, an Edwardian Baroque landmark on Westoe Road that still serves as the headquarters of South Tyneside Council. It is a Grade II listed building, and it is often referred to simply as South Shields Town Hall.

What is the history of the Municipal Buildings?

The site was an open plot at the corner of Westoe Road and Bent House Lane, a street later renamed Beach Road. The architect Ernest Fatch won an architectural competition held in 1901. A second, limited competition followed in 1902, this time for a more costly design, and that scheme shaped the building we see today.

Construction began around 1905, when the foundation stone was laid, and continued until 1910. The Municipal Buildings were officially opened by the Mayor, George Thomas Grey, on 19 October 1910. The reported cost was £78,000, a considerable sum for a borough building at the time and a sign of how much civic pride the town invested in its new seat of government.

What does the building look like?

The style is Edwardian Baroque, a confident, ornate manner popular for public buildings in Britain in the years before the First World War. The front facing Westoe Road is thirteen bays wide, which gives the building a long, imposing street presence. A tower rises above the north pavilion. Historic England's listing description notes that this tower upsets the otherwise symmetrical arrangement of the facade, which makes the composition more distinctive than a strictly balanced design would have been.

Look closely at the Westoe Road frontage and you will see why it has been protected. The listing also covers the railings and piers along the street, so the whole frontage, not only the main block, forms part of the protected setting.

What was there before the current town hall?

South Shields had an earlier town hall in the Market Place, dating from 1768. It was commissioned by the Dean and Chapter of Durham as a manorial courthouse. The Corporation bought it in 1855 and used it as the council chamber. A proposal to demolish and rebuild it around 1869 was blocked by local opposition. The older building is a useful reminder that the Westoe Road complex was created when the growing town needed far more space for its administration.

Is it worth a visit?

The Municipal Buildings are best appreciated as an example of early twentieth-century civic architecture. Because they remain a working council headquarters, they are above all an exterior sight: walk along Westoe Road, take in the thirteen-bay front and the tower, and compare the grand scale with the surrounding streets. South Tyneside Libraries also keeps historic photographs of the building, including a view taken shortly before its opening in 1910, which are a good way to see how little the main elevation has changed in over a century.

Frequently asked questions

Who designed the Municipal Buildings in South Shields? Ernest Fatch, who won the architectural competition for the project.

When did the building open? On 19 October 1910, opened by Mayor George Thomas Grey.

Is the building listed? Yes, it is Grade II listed.

What is it used for today? It houses the headquarters of South Tyneside Council.

Where is it? On Westoe Road in South Shields, Tyne and Wear, at the corner with what was once Bent House Lane.