Hartlepool Marina was carved out of the old West Hartlepool Dock in the 1990s as part of the regeneration of the waterfront, and is now one of the largest marinas on the east coast — over 500 berths and reliably full through summer.
The waterfront around it has been redeveloped with bars, a cinema, and apartments. It isn't atmospheric in the way the Headland is, but it's pleasant enough to walk around for an hour before or after the Royal Navy Museum.