The central bay, which was slightly projected forward, featured a tetrastyle portico formed by four Tuscan order columns supporting a heavy entablature and a cornice.

[6] The use of the building as a corn exchange declined significantly in the wake of the Great Depression of British Agriculture in the late 19th century.

[9] In the early 1990s, the corn exchange closed and, after the fabric of the building began to deteriorate, it was put on the Heritage at Risk Register.

The Canadian actor, Bradley Lavelle, acquired the building and, in 2004, initiated a major programme of refurbishment works to convert it into a shopping venue with restaurant, wine bar, and delicatessen known as Xchange.

[11] The building re-opened as a vintage and antiques emporium under new management in August 2013,[12] but, after the business again faced financial difficulties, it changed hands in 2022.