[1] The building was commissioned by lord of the manor, Scroop Egerton, 4th Earl of Bridgewater, as a market hall for the people of the town.

[5] The theologian, John Wesley, preached outside the town hall in 1784, although he expressed concerns that the crowd showed "understanding [of] me no more than if I had been talking Greek".

[8][9] In 1883, the south front was significantly enhanced; the centre bay, which now projected forward, featured a doorway with a stone canopy, a mullioned window on the first floor and a pediment above.

[16][17] The works also involved the creation of an attic flat for hire by holiday makers,[18] and 26 stained glass roundels, designed by Rachel Aldridge, were inserted into the windows.

[22] Works of art in the town hall include four paintings by Dean Wolstenholme the younger, all depicting hunting scenes.