Hartlepool

This article is about the town. For the district, seeBorough of Hartlepool.For the constituency, seeHartlepool (UK Parliament constituency).

Hartlepool(/ˈhɑːrtlɪpuːl/HART-lih-pool) is aseasideandport towninCounty Durham,England. It is governed by aunitary authorityboroughnamed after the town.The borough is part of the devolvedTees Valleyarea. With an estimated population of 92,600, it is the second-largest settlement in County Durham, afterDarlington.

Hartlepool
Town
TheHeadland,St Hilda's Church,Victoria Road, the Marina andChrist Church Art Gallery
AHart(red stag)
Hartlepool Location withinCounty Durham
Population	92,600
Demonym	Hartlepudlian
OS grid reference	NZ508331
•London	261 miles (420 km)
Unitary authority	Hartlepool
Ceremonial county	County Durham
Region	North East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Areas of the town	List Hart Station Headland(parish) Middleton Owton Rift House Seaton Carew Stranton Throston
Post town	HARTLEPOOL
Postcode district	TS24–TS26
Dialling code	01429
Police	Cleveland
Fire	Cleveland
Ambulance	North East
UK Parliament	Hartlepool

Theold townwas founded in the 7th century, around the monastery ofHartlepool Abbeyon a headland. As the village grew into a town in the Middle Ages, its harbour served as theCounty Palatine of Durham's official port. The new town ofWest Hartlepoolwas created in 1835 after a new port was built and railway links from the South Durhamcoal fields(to the west) and from Stockton-on-Tees (to the south) were created. A parliamentary constituency covering both the old town and West Hartlepool was created in 1867 calledThe Hartlepools.The two towns were formally merged into a singleboroughcalled Hartlepool in 1967.Following the merger, the name of the constituency was changed from The Hartlepools to justHartlepoolin 1974. The modern town centre and mainrailway stationare both at what was West Hartlepool; the old town is now generally known as theHeadland.

Industrialisation innorthern Englandand the start of a shipbuilding industry in the later part of the 19th century meant it was a target for theImperial German Navyat the beginning of the First World War. A bombardment of 1,150 shells on 16 December 1914 resulted in the death of 117 people in the town. A severe decline in heavy industries and shipbuilding following the Second World War caused periods of high unemployment until the 1990s when major investment projects and the redevelopment of the docks area into amarinasaw a rise in the town's prospects. The town also has aseaside resortcalledSeaton Carew.

History

The hart sculpture

The place name derives fromOld Englishheort( "hart"), referring tostagsseen, andpōl(pool), a pool of drinking water which they were known to use.Records of the place-name from early sources confirm this:

• 649:Heretu, or Hereteu.
• 1017:Herterpol, or Hertelpolle.
• 1182:Hierdepol.

Town on the heugh

See also:Headland, Hartlepool

ANorthumbriansettlement developed in the 7th century aroundan abbeyfounded in 640 bySaint Aidan(an Irish Christian priest) upon a headland overlooking a natural harbour and the North Sea. The monastery became powerful underSt Hilda,who served as itsabbessfrom 649 to 657. The 8th-centuryNorthumbrianchroniclerBedereferred to the spot on which today's town is sited as "the place where deer come to drink", and in this period the Headland was named by theAnglesasHeruteu(Stag Island). Archaeological evidence has been found below the current high tide mark that indicates that an ancient post-glacialforest by the sea existed in the area at the time.

The Abbey fell into decline in the early 8th century, and it was probably destroyed during a sea raid byVikingson the settlement in the 9th century.In March 2000, the archaeological investigation television programmeTime Teamlocated the foundations of the lost monastery in the grounds of St Hilda's Church.In the early 11th century, the name had evolved intoHerterpol.

Hartness

See also:Hart, County DurhamandBillingham

During the Norman Conquest, the De Brus family gained over-lordship of the land surrounding Hartlepool.William the Conquerorsubsequently ordered the construction ofDurham Castle,and the villages under their rule were mentioned in records in 1153 whenRobert de Brus, 1st Lord of AnnandalebecameLord of Hartness.The town's first charter was received before 1185, for which it gained its first mayor, an annual two-week fair and a weekly market.TheNorman Conquestaffected the settlement's name to form theMiddle EnglishHart-le-pool( "The Pool of the Stags" ).

By theMiddle Ages,Hartlepool was growing into an important (though still small) market town. One of the reasons for its escalating wealth was that its harbour was serving as the official port of theCounty Palatine of Durham.The main industry of the town at this time was fishing, and Hartlepool in this period established itself as one of the primary ports upon England's Eastern coast.

In 1306,Robert the Brucewas crownedKing of Scotland,and became the last Lord of Hartness. Angered,King Edward Iconfiscated the title to Hartlepool, and began to improve the town's military defences in expectation of war.In 1315, before they were completed, a Scottish army underSir James Douglasattacked, captured and looted the town.

In the late 15th century, a pier was constructed to assist in the harbour's workload.

Garrison

The defensive walls around Old Hartlepool

Hartlepool was once again militarily occupied by a Scottish incursion, this time in alliance with theParliamentary Armyduring theEnglish Civil War,which after 18 months was relieved by an English Parliamentarian garrison.

In 1795, Hartlepool artillery emplacements and defences were constructed in the town as a defensive measure against the threat of French attack from seaborne Napoleonic forces. During theCrimean War,two coastal batteries were constructed close together in the town to guard against the threat of seaborne attacks from theImperial Russian Navy.They were entitled theLighthouse Battery(1855) and theHeugh Battery(1859).

Hartlepool in the 18th century became known as a town with medicinal springs, particularly theChalybeateSpa near the Westgate. The poetThomas Grayvisited the town in July 1765 to "take the waters", and wrote to his friend William Mason:

I have been for two days to taste the water, and do assure you that nothing could be salter and bitterer and nastier and better for you... I am delighted with the place; there are the finest walks and rocks and caverns.

A few weeks later, he wrote in greater detail to James Brown:

The rocks, the sea and the weather there more than made up to me the want of bread and the want of water, two capital defects, but of which I learned from the inhabitants not to be sensible. They live on the refuse of their own fish-market, with a few potatoes, and a reasonable quantity of Geneva [gin] six days in the week, and I have nowhere seen a taller, more robust or healthy race: every house full of ruddy broad-faced children. Nobody dies but of drowning or old-age: nobody poor but from drunkenness or mere laziness.

Town by the strand

Further information:West Hartlepool

By the early nineteenth century, Hartlepool was still a small town of around 900 people, with a declining port. In 1823, the council andBoard of Tradedecided that the town needed new industry, so the decision was made to propose a new railway to make Hartlepool a coal port, shipping out minerals from the Durhamcoalfield.It was in this endeavour thatIsambard Kingdom Brunelvisited the town in December 1831, and wrote: "A curiously isolated old fishing town – a remarkably fine race of men. Went to the top of the church tower for a view."

But the plan faced local competition from new docks. 25 kilometres (16 mi) to the north, theMarquis of Londonderryhad approved the creation of the newSeaham Harbour(opened 31 July 1831), while to the south theClarence RailwayconnectedStockton-on-TeesandBillinghamto a new port atPort Clarence(opened 1833). Further south again, in 1831 theStockton and Darlington Railwayhad extended into the new port ofMiddlesbrough.

The council agreed the formation of theHartlepool Dock and Railway Company(HD&RCo) to extend the existing port by developing new docks, and link to both local collieries and the developing railway network in the south. In 1833, it was agreed thatChristopher TennantofYarmestablish the HD&RCo, having previously opened the Clarence Railway (CR). Tennant's plan was that the HD&RCo would fund the creation of a new railway, theStockton and Hartlepool Railway,which would take over the loss-making CR and extended it north to the new dock, thereby linking to the Durham coalfield.

After Tennant died, in 1839, the running of the HD&RCo was taken over by Stockton-on-Tees solicitor,Ralph Ward Jackson.But Jackson became frustrated at the planning restrictions placed on the old Hartlepool dock and surrounding area for access, so bought land which was mainly sand dunes to the south-west, and establishedWest Hartlepool.Because Jackson was so successful at shipping coal from West Hartlepool through hisWest Hartlepool Dock and Railway Companyand, as technology developed, ships grew in size and scale, the new town would eventually dwarf the old town.

The 8-acre (3.2-hectare) West Hartlepool Harbour and Dock opened on 1 June 1847. On 1 June 1852, the 14-acre (5.7-hectare) Jackson Dock opened on the same day that a railway opened connecting West Hartlepool toLeeds,Manchester andLiverpool.This allowed the shipping of coal and wool products eastwards, and the shipping of fresh fish and raw fleeces westwards, enabling another growth spurt in the town. This in turn resulted in the opening of the Swainson Dock on 3 June 1856, named after Ward Jackson's father-in-law. In 1878, the William Gray & Co shipyard in West Hartlepool achieved the distinction of launching the largest tonnage of any shipyard in the world, a feat to be repeated on a number of occasions.By 1881, old Hartlepool's population had grown from 993 to 12,361, but West Hartlepool had a population of 28,000.

Ward Jackson Park

Ward Jackson helped to plan the layout of West Hartlepool and was responsible for the first public buildings. He was also involved in the education and the welfare of the inhabitants. In the end, he was a victim of his own ambition to promote the town: accusations of shady financial dealings, and years of legal battles, left him in near-poverty. He spent the last few years of his life in London, far away from the town he had created.

World Wars

First

Further information:Raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby

In Hartlepool nearHeugh Battery,a plaque inRedheugh Gardens War Memorial"marks the place where the first...(German shell) struck... (and) the first soldier was killed on British soil by enemy action in the Great War 1914–1918."

The area became heavily industrialised with anironworks(established in 1838) andshipyardsin the docks (established in the 1870s). By 1913, no fewer than 43 ship-owning companies were located in the town, with the responsibility for 236 ships. This made it a key target for Germany in theFirst World War.One of the first German offensives against Britain was a raid and bombardment by theImperial German Navyon the morning of 16 December 1914,

Hartlepool was hit with a total of 1150 shells, killing 117 people. Two coastal defence batteries at Hartlepool returned fire, launching 143 shells, and damaging three German ships:SMSSeydlitz,SMSMoltkeandSMSBlücher.The Hartlepool engagement lasted roughly 50 minutes, and the coastal artillery defence was supported by the Royal Navy in the form of four destroyers, two light cruisers and a submarine, none of which had any significant impact on the German attackers.

Private Theophilus Jones of the 18th BattalionDurham Light Infantry,who fell as a result of this bombardment, is sometimes described as the first military casualty on British soil by enemy fire.This event (the death of the first soldiers on British soil) is commemorated by the 1921Redheugh Gardens War Memorialtogether with a plaque unveiled on the same day (seven years and one day after the East Coast Raid) at the spot on the Headland (the memorial by Philip Bennisonillustrates four soldiers on one of fourcartouchesand the plaque, donated by a member of the public, refers to the 'first soldier' but gives no name). A living history group, the Hartlepool Military Heritage Memorial Society, portray men of that unit for educational and memorial purposes.

Hartlepudlians voluntarily subscribed more money per head to the war effort than any other town in Britain.

Between

On 4 January 1922, a fire starting in a timber yard left 80 people homeless and caused over £1,000,000 of damage.Hartlepool suffered badly in theGreat Depressionof the 1930s and endured high unemployment.

Second

Unemployment decreased during theSecond World War,with shipbuilding and steel-making industries enjoying a renaissance. Most of its output for the war effort were "Empire Ships".German bombers raided the town 43 times, though, compared to the previous war, civilian losses were lighter with 26 deaths recorded by Hartlepool Municipal Boroughand 49 by West Hartlepool Borough.During the Second World War,RAF Greatham(also known as RAF West Hartlepool) was located on the SouthBritish Steel CorporationWorks.

The merge

Hartlepool Borough Hallon the heugh

In 1891, the two towns had a combined population of 64,000. By 1900, the two Hartlepools were, together, one of the three busiest ports in England.

The modern town represents a joining of "Old Hartlepool", locally known as the "Headland", andWest Hartlepool.As already mentioned, what wasWest Hartlepoolbecame the larger town and both were formally unified in 1967. Today the term "West Hartlepool" is rarely heard outside the context of sport, but one of the town'sRugby Unionteams still retains the name.

The name of the town's professional football club reflected both boroughs; when it was formed in 1908, following the success of West Hartlepool in winning the FA Amateur Cup in 1905, it was called "Hartlepools United" in the hope of attracting support from both towns. When the boroughs combined in 1967, the club renamed itself "Hartlepool" before re-renaming itselfHartlepool Unitedin the 1970s. Many fans of the club still refer to the team as "Pools"

Postwar period

1962 chart of Hartlepool and the Bay, showing the infrastructure before the closure of the steel works and the filling-in of several of the docks

2021 Map of Hartlepool

After the war, industry went into a severe decline.Blanchland,the last ship to be constructed in Hartlepool, left the slips in 1961. In 1967, Betty James wrote how "if I had the luck to live anywhere in the North East [of England]...I would live near Hartlepool. If I had the luck".There was a boost to the retail sector in 1970 whenMiddleton Grange Shopping Centrewas opened byPrincess Anne,with over 130 new shops includingMarks & SpencerandWoolworths.

Before the shopping centre was opened, the old town centre was located around Lynn Street, but most of the shops and the market had moved to a new shopping centre by 1974. Most of Lynn Street had by then been demolished to make way for a new housing estate. Only the north end of the street remains, now called Lynn Street North. This is where the Hartlepool Borough Council depot was based (alongside the Focus DIY store) until it moved to the marina in August 2006.

In 1977, theBritish Steel Corporationannounced the closure of its Hartlepool steelworks with the loss of 1500 jobs.In the 1980s, the area was afflicted with extremely high levels of unemployment, at its peak consisting of 30 per cent of the town's working-age population, the highest in the United Kingdom.630 jobs at British Steel were lost in 1983, and a total of 10,000 jobs were lost from the town in the economic de-industrialization of England's former Northern manufacturing heartlands.Between 1983 and 1999, the town lacked a cinema and areas of it became afflicted with the societal hallmarks of endemic economic poverty:urban decay,high crime levels,drugand alcohol dependency being prevalent.

Docks near the centre were redeveloped and reopened byQueen Elizabeth IIin 1993 as a marina.The accompanyingNational Museum of the Royal Navyopened in 1994, then known as the Hartlepool Historic Quay.

A development corporation is under consultation until August 2022 to organise projects, with thetown's fundgiven to the town and other funds. Plans would be (if the corporation is formed) focused on the railway station, waterfront (including the Royal Navy Museum and a new leisure centre)andChurch Street.Northern School of Art also has funds for a TV and film studios.

On 2 August 2024far-rightactivists and othersattackedpolice, threw stones at a mosque and looted shops after anti-immigrant misinformation was spread on social media.

Governance

Further information:Borough of Hartlepool

There is one main tier of local government covering Hartlepool, atunitary authoritylevel:Hartlepool Borough Council.There is acivil parishcovering Headland, which forms an additional tier of local government for that area; most of the rest of the urban area is anunparished area.The borough council is a constituent member of theTees Valley Combined Authority,led by the directly electedTees Valley Mayor.The borough council is based at the Civic Centre on Victoria Road.

Hartlepool was historically atownshipin theancient parishofHart.Hartlepool was also anancient borough,having been granted a charter byKing Johnin 1200.The borough was reformed to become amunicipal boroughin 1850.The council builtHartlepool Borough Hallto serve as its headquarters, being completed in 1866.

Municipal Buildings, Church Square: Headquarters of West Hartlepool Borough Council from 1889, then of the enlarged Hartlepool Borough Council from 1967. Replaced by new Civic Centre on Victoria Road in 1970s.

West Hartlepool was laid out on land outside Hartlepool's historic borough boundaries, in the neighbouring parish ofStranton.A body ofimprovement commissionerswas established to administer the new town in 1854.The commissioners were superseded in 1887, when West Hartlepool was also incorporated as a municipal borough.The new borough council built itself a headquarters at the Municipal Buildings on Church Square, which was completed in 1889.An events venue and public hall on Raby Road calledWest Hartlepool Town Hallwas subsequently completed in 1897.In 1902 West Hartlepool was elevated to become acounty borough,making it independent fromDurham County Council.The old Hartlepool Borough Council amalgamated with West Hartlepool Borough Council in 1967 to form a county borough called Hartlepool.

In 1974 the borough was enlarged to take in eight neighbouring parishes, and was transferred to the new county ofCleveland.Cleveland was abolished in 1996 following theBanham Review,which gave unitary authority status to its four districts, including Hartlepool. The borough was restored to County Durham forceremonialpurposes under theLieutenancies Act 1997,but as a unitary authority it is independent from Durham County Council.

Council

See also:Hartlepool Borough Council

After boundary changes introduced in 2019, the borough is now divided into 12 electoral wards, each of which elects three councillors who make up the 36 councillors of the borough council.

The twelve wards of Hartlepool Borough Council

Burn Valley	De Brus	Fens & Greatham	Foggy Furze
Hart	Headland & Harbour	Throston	Manor House
Rural West	Seaton	Victoria	Rossmere

Members of Parliament

See also:Hartlepool (UK Parliament constituency)

Hartlepool is represented in theHouse of Commonsby one Member of Parliament. The current MP for theHartlepool constituencyisJill Mortimerof theConservative Party.She was elected at the2021 Hartlepool by-electionwith 51.9% of the vote.

Members of parliament for Hartlepool since 1945 have been:

Colour key
Conservative Party Labour Party

Name		Term of office	Political party	Offices held
	David Thomas Jones	1945–1959	Labour
	John Simon Kerans	1959–1964	Conservative
	Edward Leadbitter	1964–1992	Labour
	Peter Mandelson	1992–2004	Labour	Secretary of State for Northern Ireland(11 October 1999 – 24 January 2001), Secretary of State for Trade and Industry(27 July 1998 – 23 December 1998), Minister without Portfolio(2 May 1997 – 27 July 1998)
	Iain Wright	2004–2017	Labour	Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for 14–19 Reform and Apprenticeships(9 June 2009 – 11 May 2010)
	Mike Hill	2017–2021	Labour
	Jill Mortimer	2021–present	Conservative

Mandelson, the MP between 1992 and 2004, resigned to take up a role in theEuropean Commission.On 13 October 2008, he was createdBaron Mandelson ofFoyand Hartlepoolfollowing his appointment asSecretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reformin the British Government.

Emergency services

Hartlepool falls within the jurisdiction ofCleveland Fire BrigadeandCleveland Police.Before 1974, it was under the jurisdiction of theDurham ConstabularyandDurham Fire Brigade.Hartlepool has two fire stations: a full-time station atStrantonand a retained station on the Headland.

Geography

Distance to other places

Place	Distance	Direction	Relation
Darlington	18 miles (29 km)	South west	Combined Authority area
Sunderland	17 miles (27 km)	North	Largest settlement in thehistoric countyof Durham
Durham	16 miles (26 km)	North	Historiccounty townand closest city
Stockton	9 miles (14 km)	South west	Combined Authority area
Middlesbrough	8 miles (13 km)	South	Combined Authority area

Nearby towns include:Seaham(17 mi or 27 km),Sedgefield(13 mi or 21 km),Billingham(8 mi or 13 km) andPeterlee(8 mi or 13 km). Beyond the far side of theTees Bay,on the other side of theRiver Tees,the distant monument onEston Nabcan be seen on clear days.

Economy

Hartlepool's economy has historically been linked with the maritime industry, something which is still at the heart of local business. Hartlepool Dock is owned and run byPD Ports.Engineering related jobs employ around 1700 people.Tata Steel Europeemploy around 350 people in the manufacture of steel tubes, predominantly for the oil industry.South of the town on the banks of the Tees,Able UKoperates theTeesside Environmental Reclamation and Recycling Centre(TERRC), a large scale marine recycling facility and dry dock. Adjacent to the east of TERRC is theHartlepool nuclear power station,anadvanced gas-cooled reactor(AGR) type nuclear power plant opened in the 1980s. It is the single largest employer in the town, employing 1 per cent of the town's working age people.

The chemicals industry is important to the local economy. Companies includeHuntsman Corporation,who producetitanium dioxidefor use in paints,Omya,Baker HughesandFrutarom.

Tourism was worth £48 million to the town in 2009; this figure excludes the impact of the Tall Ships 2010.Hartlepool's historic links to the maritime industry are centred on theMaritime Experience,and the supporting exhibitsPSWingfield CastleandHMSTrincomalee.

Camerons Brewerywas founded in 1852 and currently employs around 145 people.It is one of the largest breweries in the UK. Following a series of take-overs, it came under the control of theCastle Eden Breweryin 2001 who merged the two breweries, closing down theCastle Edenplant.It brews a range ofcaskand bottled beers, includingStrongarm,a 4%abvbitter.The brewery is heavily engaged in contract brewing such beers asKronenbourg 1664,John Smith'sandFoster's.

Orchid Drinks of Hartlepool were formed in 1992 after a management buy out of the soft drinks arm of Camerons.They manufacturedPurdey'sandAmé.Following a £67 million takeover byBritvic,the site was closed down in 2009.

Middleton Grange Shopping Centreis the main shopping location. 2800 people are employed in retail.The ten major retail companies in the town areTesco,Morrisons,Asda,Next,Argos,Marks & Spencer,Aldi,BootsandMatalan.Aside from the local sports clubs, other local entertainment venues include aVUE CinemaandMecca Bingo.

Companies that have moved operations to the town for theoffshore wind farmincludeSiemensandVan Oord.

Culture and community

Festivals and Fairs

Since November 2014 the Headland has hosted the annual Wintertide Festival, which is a weekend long event that starts with a community parade on the Friday and culminating in a finale performance and fireworks display on the Sunday.

Tall Ships' Races

On 28 June 2006 Hartlepool celebrated after winning its bid to hostThe Tall Ships' Races.The town welcomed up to 125tall shipsin 2010, after being chosen by race organiser Sail Training International to be the finishing point for the race. Hartlepool greeted the ships, which sailed fromKristiansandin Norway on the second and final leg of the race. Hartlepool also hosted the race in July 2023.

Museums, art galleries and libraries

Hartlepool Art Galleryis located in Church Square within Christ Church, a restoredVictorianchurch, built in 1854 and designed by the architectEdward Buckton Lamb(1806–1869). The gallery's temporary exhibitions change frequently and feature works from local artists and the permanent Fine Art Collection, which was established by Sir William Gray.The gallery also houses the Hartlepooltourist information centre.

TheHeugh BatteryMuseum

The Heugh BatteryMuseum is located onthe Headland.It was one of three batteries erected to protect Hartlepool's port in 1860. The battery was closed in 1956 and is now in the care of the Heugh Gun Battery Trust and home to anartillerycollection.

NMRN Hartlepool

Hartlepool is home to aNational Museum of the Royal Navy(more specifically theNMRN Hartlepool). Previously known simply as The Historic Quay and Hartlepool's Maritime Experience, the museum is a re-creation of an 18th-century seaport with the exhibition centre-piece being a sailing frigate,HMS Trincomalee.The complex also includes theMuseum of Hartlepool.

Willows was the Hartlepool mansion of the influential Sir William Gray ofWilliam Gray & Companyand he gifted it to the town in 1920, after which it was converted to be the town's first museum and art gallery.Fondly known locally as "The Gray" it was closed as a museum in 1994 and now houses the local authority's culture department.

There are sixlibrariesin Hartlepool, the primary one being the Community Hub Central Library. Others are Throston Grange Library, Community Hub North Library, Seaton Carew Library, Owton Manor Library and Headland Branch Library.

Transport

Road

Hartlepool is served by two major roads which are theA179 roadand theA689 road,both linking the town to theA19 road.TheA179 roadis the main road to the north-west which leads to theA19 road,Durham,SunderlandandTyneside.TheA689 roadis the main road to the south-west towards the A19 &Billingham,Stockton,MiddlesbroughandYork.TheA178 roadleads south toSeaton Carew,Graythorp,Seal Sands,Port ClarenceandMiddlesbroughvia theTransporter bridge.TheA1086 roadleads north toCrimdon,Blackhall,Horden,PeterleeandEasington.

Rail

Hartlepoolstation

Hartlepool is served byHartlepoolandSeaton Carewrailway stations, both of which lie on theDurham Coast Linewith hourly services toSunderland,NewcastleandMiddlesbrough,which are operated byNorthern.A service toLondon King's Crossfrom Sunderland, operated byGrand Centralthat usesClass 180trains capable of 125 mph (200 km/h) operates from the former of the two stations. The service marks the first time since the 1980sthat Hartlepool has had a direct rail link with London which takes around three and a half hours.

Bus

Local bus services are provided around the town mainly byStagecoach North East.The operator has the service 36 from Hartlepool toBillingham,StocktonandMiddlesbrough,as well as the faster service 1 toMiddlesbroughviaSeaton Carewand Port Clarence.

Other services are provided byArriva North Eastfrom Hartlepool toPeterlee,Durham,Seaham,andSunderland.

Sea

Offshore supply vessels in Hartlepool docks

Hartlepool has been a major seaport virtually since it was founded, and has a long fishing heritage. During the industrial revolution massive new docks were created on the southern side of the channel running below the Headland, which gave rise to the town ofWest Hartlepool.

Now owned byPD Ports,the docks are still in use today and still capable of handling large vessels. However, a large portion of the former dockland was converted into a marina capable of berthing 500 vessels. Hartlepool Marina is home to a wide variety of pleasure and working craft, with passage to and from the sea through a lock.

Hartlepool also has a permanentRNLIlifeboatstation.

Education

See also:List of schools in Hartlepool

Secondary

Hartlepool has five secondary schools:

• Dyke House Academy
• English Martyrs School and Sixth Form College
• High Tunstall College of Science
• Manor Community Academy
• St Hild's Church of England School

The town had planned to receive funding from central government to improve school buildings and facilities as a part of theBuilding Schools for the Futureprogramme, but this was cancelled because ofgovernment spending cuts.

College

Hartlepool College of Further Educationis an educational establishment located in the centre of the town, and existed in various forms for over a century. Its former 1960s campus was replaced by a £52million custom-designed building, it was approved in principle in July 2008, opened in September 2011.

Hartlepool also hasHartlepool Sixth Form College.It was a former grammar and comprehensive school, the college provides a number of AS and A2 Level student courses. TheEnglish Martyrs School and Sixth Form Collegealso offers AS, A2 and other BTEC qualification to 16- to 18-year-olds from Hartlepool and beyond.

A campus ofThe Northern School of Artis a specialistart and design collegeandhigher education,located adjacent to the art gallery on Church Square. The college has a further site in Middlesbrough that facilitatesfurther education.

Territorial Army

Situated in the New Armoury Centre, Easington Road are the following units.

• Royal Marines Reserve
• 90 (North Riding) Signal Squadron

Religion

Further information:List of churches in Hartlepool

St Joseph's RC Church

St Paul's CoE Church

Nasir Mosque

All Saints' Church, Stranton

They are multiple Church of England and Roman Catholic Churches in the town. St Hilda's Church is a notable church of the town, it was built onHartlepool Abbeyand sits upon a high point of the Headland. The churches of the Church of England's St Paul and Roman Catholic's St Joseph are next to each other on St Paul's Road.Nasir Mosqueon Brougham Terrace is the solepurpose-builtmosque in the town.

Church	Churches belong to	Churches
Church of England	Deanery of Hartlepool Archdeaconry of Auckland Diocese of Durham Province of York	Christ Church(deconsecrated) Holy Trinity St Aidan St Columba St Hilda St Luke St Oswald St Paul
Roman Catholic	Holy Family parish Hilda partnership Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle Archdiocese of Liverpool	St Cuthbert St John Vianney St Joseph St Patrick St Thomas More St Mary

Sport

Football

Victoria Park

Hartlepool Unitedis the town's professional football club and they play atVictoria Park.The club's most notable moment was in 2005 when, with 8 minutes left in the2005 Football League One play-off final,the team conceded a penalty, allowingSheffield Wednesdayto equalise and eventually beat Hartlepool to a place in theChampionship.The club currently play in theNational League.

Pools are affiliated with a women's team calledHartlepool United FC Women.They were formed in 2015 and currently play in theNorth East Regional Women's Football League.

Supporters of Hartlepool United bear the nickname ofMonkey Hangers.This is based upon a legend that during the Napoleonic wars a monkey, which had been a ship's mascot, was taken for a French spy and hanged. Hartlepool has also produced football presenterJeff Stelling,who has a renowned partnership withChris Kamarawho was born in nearbyMiddlesbrough.Jeff Stellingis a keen supporter of Hartlepool and often refers to them when presentingSky Sports News.It is also the birthplace and childhood home ofPete Donaldson,one of the co-hosts of the Football Ramblepodcastas well as co-host of theAbroad in Japanpodcast, and a prominent radio DJ.

The town also has a semi-professional football club calledFC Hartlepoolwho play inNorthern LeagueDivision Two.

Rugby union

Hartlepool is something of an anomaly in England having historically maintained a disproportionate number of clubs in a town of only c.90,000 inhabitants. These include(d)West Hartlepool,Hartlepool Rovers,Hartlepool Athletic RFC, Hartlepool Boys Brigade Old Boys RFC (BBOB), Seaton Carew RUFC (formerly Hartlepool Grammar School Old Boys), West Hartlepool Technical Day School Old Boys RUFC (TDSOB or Tech) and Hartlepool Old Boys' RFC (Hartlepool). Starting in 1904 clubs within eight miles (thirteen kilometres) of the headland were eligible to compete for the Pyman Cup which has been contested regularly since and that the Hartlepool & District Union continue to organise.

Perhaps the best known club outside the town isWest Hartlepool R.F.C.who in 1992 achieved promotion to what is now thePremiershipcompeting in 1992–93, 1994–95, 1995–96 and 1996–97 seasons. This success came at a price as soon after West was then hit by bankruptcy and controversially sold their Brierton Lane stadium and pitch to former sponsor Yuills Homes. There then followed a succession of relegations before the club stabilised in the Durham/Northumberland leagues. West and Rovers continue to play one another in a popular Boxing Day fixture which traditionally draws a large crowd.

Hartlepool Rovers,formed in 1879, who played at the Old Friarage in the Headland area of Hartlepool before moving to West View Road. In the 1890s Rovers supplied numerous county, divisional and international players. The club itself hosted many high-profile matches including the inauguralBarbarians F.C.match in 1890, theNew Zealand Maorisin 1888 and the legendaryAll Blackswho played against a combined Hartlepool Club team in 1905. In the 1911–12 season, Hartlepool Rovers broke the world record for the number of points scored in a season racking up 860 points including 122 tries, 87 conversions, five penalties and eleven drop goals.

Although they ceased competing in the RFU leagues in 2008–09, West Hartlepool TDSOB (Tech) continues to support town and County rugby with several of the town's other clubs having played at Grayfields when their own pitches were unavailable. Grayfields has also hosted a number of Durham County cup finals as well as County Under 16, Under 18 and Under 20 age group games.

Olympics

Boxing

At the2012 Summer Olympics,21-year-oldSavannah Marshall,who attendedEnglish Martyrs School and Sixth Form Collegein the town of Hartlepool, competed in the Women's boxing tournament of the 2012 Olympic Games. She was defeated 12–6 byMarina VolnovaofKazakhstanin her opening, quarter-final bout.Savannah Marshallis now a professional boxer, currently unbeaten as a pro and on 31 October 2020 in her 9th professional fight Marshall became the WBO female middleweight champion with a TKO victory over opponentHannah RankinatWembley Arena.

Swimming

In August 2012Jemma Lowe,a British record holder who attendedHigh Tunstall College of Sciencein the town of Hartlepool, competed in the 2012 Olympic Games. She finished sixth in the 200-metre butterfly final with a time of 58.06 seconds. She was also a member of the eighth-place British team in the400mMedley relay.

Monkeys

Main article:Monkey hanger

Hartlepool is known for allegedly executing a monkey during the Napoleonic Wars.According to legend, fishermen from Hartlepool watched a French warship founder off the coast, and the only survivor was a monkey, which was dressed in French military uniform, presumably to amuse the officers on the ship. The fishermen assumed that this must be what Frenchmen looked like and, after a brief trial, summarily executed the monkey.

Historians have pointed to the prior existence of a Scottishfolk songcalled "And the Boddamers hung the Monkey-O". It describes how a monkey survived a shipwreck off the village ofBoddamnearPeterheadinAberdeenshire.Because the villagers could only claim salvage rights if there were no survivors from the wreck, they allegedly hanged the monkey. There is also an English folk song detailing the later event called, appropriately enough, "The Hartlepool Monkey". In the English version the monkey is hanged as a French spy.

"Monkey hanger"and Chimp Choker are common terms of (semi-friendly) abuse aimed at" Poolies ", often from footballing rivalsDarlington.The mascot ofHartlepool United F.C.isH'Angusthe monkey.The man in the monkey costume,Stuart Drummond,stood for the post of mayor in 2002 as H'angus the monkey, and campaigned on a platform which included free bananas for schoolchildren. To widespread surprise, he won, becoming the firstdirectly elected mayorof Hartlepool, winning 7,400 votes with a 52% share of the vote and a turnout of 30%. He was re-elected by a landslide in 2005, winning 16,912 on a turnout of 51% – 10,000 votes more than his nearest rival, the Labour Party candidate.

The monkey legend is also linked with two of the town's sports clubs,Hartlepool RoversRFC, which uses the hanging monkey as the club logo. Hartlepool (Old Boys) RFC use a hanging monkey kicking a rugby ball as their tie crest.

Notable residents

For a complete list, seeCategory:People from the Borough of Hartlepool.

• Michael Brown,formerPremier Leaguefootballer
• Brian Clough,football manager who lived in the Fens estate in town while manager ofHartlepools United
• John Darwin,convicted fraudster who faked his own death
• Pete Donaldson,London radio DJ and podcast host
• Janick Gers,guitarist from British heavy metal bandIron Maiden
• Courtney Hadwin,singer
• Jack Howe,formerEnglandinternational footballer
• Liam Howe,music producer and songwriter for several artists and member of the bandSneaker Pimps
• Saxon Huxley,WWE NXT UKwrestler
• Andy Linighan,formerArsenalfootballer who scored the winning goal in the1993 FA Cup Final
• Savannah Marshall,professional boxer
• Stephanie Aird,comedian and television personality
• Jim Parker,composer
• Guy Pearce,film actor who lived in the town when he was younger as his mother was from the town
• Narbi Price,artist
• Jack Rowell,coached theEnglandinternational rugby team and led them to the semi-final of the1995 Rugby World Cup
• Wayne Sleep,dancer and actor who spent his childhood in the town.
• Reg Smythe,cartoonist who createdAndy Capp
• Jeremy Spencer,guitarist who was in the originalFleetwood Macline-up
• Jeff Stelling,TV presenter, famous for hostingGillette Soccer Saturday
• Tomara Thomas,drag performer

Local media

• Hartlepool Life- local free newspaper
• Hartlepool Mail– local newspaper
• BBC Radio Tees–BBC local radiostation
• Radio Hartlepool–Community radiostation serving the town
• Hartlepool Post– on-line publication
• Local television news programmes areBBC Look NorthandITV News Tyne Tees.

Town twinning

Hartlepool istwinnedwith:

• Sète,France
• Hückelhoven,Germany(since 1973)
• Muskegon, Michigan
• Sliema,Malta
• Novovolynsk,Ukraine

Climate

Hartlepool has anoceanic climatetypical of Great Britain. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Cfb" (Marine West Coast Climate).

Climate data for Hartlepool
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	6 (43)	7 (44)	9 (48)	11 (52)	14 (58)	17 (63)	20 (68)	19 (67)	17 (62)	13 (55)	9 (48)	7 (45)	12 (54)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	1 (34)	1 (34)	2 (36)	3 (37)	6 (43)	8 (46)	11 (52)	11 (52)	9 (48)	6 (43)	3 (37)	2 (36)	6 (42)
Averageprecipitationmm (inches)	56 (2.21)	39 (1.53)	51 (2.01)	52 (2.05)	50 (1.95)	55 (2.16)	44 (1.75)	61 (2.41)	57 (2.26)	57 (2.24)	61 (2.42)	59 (2.33)	643 (25.32)
Source:

External links

• Official Websiteof theBorough of Hartlepool
• Tide times for Hartlepool from theBBC,EasytideandTidetimes.