[1] The first municipal building in the town was a structure known as the shambles which accommodated a series of butchers' stalls and dated back at least to the early 16th century.

[2] By the early 18th century the shambles was dilapidated and civic leaders decided to rebuild it: the remodelled structure was designed in the neoclassical style, built with hamstone rubble masonry and was completed in 1742.

Internally, the principal room remained the main hall which featured a barrel vaulted ceiling.

[1] The main hall was converted for use as a cinema and became known as the "Peoples Picture Palace", operating under the management of Thomas Stembridge and showing silent films from 1917 to 1921.

[8] Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, visited the town hall on their journey to Exeter on 2 May 2012.