Pub history

The Ward Jackson

The new town of West Hartlepool can be said to date from 1844, when the Hartlepool West Harbour & Dock Company was formed. The following January, Ralph Ward Jackson cut the first sod for the coal dock, which he opened in June 1847. The name ‘ward room’ derives from a meeting place on board ships. It links Ward Jackson and ship-building with this premises and the modern town, which prides itself on its marina and historic quay. Ralph Ward Jackson’s statue stands in front of this pub.