[1] The first municipal building in Knaresborough was an early 17th century toll booth,[2] which was rebuilt as a sessions house with two prison cells in the basement in 1768.

[5] The foundation stone for the new building was laid by Sir Charles Slingsby, 10th Baronet of Scriven Hall who, as the lord of the manor, decided to make the site available at a nominal charge and also contributed to the cost of the construction.

[1] The design involved a symmetrical main frontage with five bays facing onto the Market Place; a series of rusticated piers supported the first floor structure.

[1] Above the middle window there was a carved scroll with the inscription "Town Hall" and the date of construction and, at roof level, there was a cornice with dentils and a central clock.

[11] The local tourist information office was among tenants accommodated in the retail mall[12] and the assembly room was brought back into use as a nightclub.