Workmen restoring the Old Town Hall in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, have discovered a 168-year-old time capsule hidden beneath the building’s clock tower. Middlesbrough Council announced the find on 25 February 2026, which includes local historical items dating back to the town’s early industrial years.
The sealed container held a copy of the Darlington & Stockton Times newspaper from 25 September 1858 and a silver threepence coin from 1857 featuring a young Queen Victoria. It also contained a hand-written parchment signed by the founding fathers of the town, including Henry Bolckow, John Vaughan, and Isaac Wilson.
This parchment revealed that the bell in the clock tower was made from the same model as the one used at Balmoral Castle. While the main hall first opened in 1846, the discovery confirms that the clock tower was a later addition finished in 1858.
The items were found during a £6.3 million pound project to turn the Grade II-listed building into a modern business hub. The work is being funded by the council and the National Lottery Heritage Fund to help regenerate the area before the town’s bicentenary in 2030.
Mayor Chris Cooke said the find provides new information about the earliest days of the town. The historical items are now with Teesside Archives and are expected to be put on display in future local exhibitions.
