An old market hall used to stand at the east end of the Shambles: it was arcaded on the ground floor, so that meat markets could be held, with an assembly hall on the first floor. Meetings of the
court leet were held in the assembly room and the basement was used as a store. By the early 19th century the building had become dilapidated, and it was demolished in 1826. Following the election of
town commissioners in the mid-19th century, one of their first actions was to procure a new town hall: the site they chose was at the corner of Market Street and Church Street. The new building, designed by Thomas Fuller (who later emigrated to Canada and became its
Chief Dominion Architect) in the
Elizabethan style and built in
Bath stone, was completed in 1854. The design featured a prominent four-stage tower at the corner the two streets: the first stage involved a doorway with an arched
archivolt, the second stage featured a three-light window, the third stage involved a clock face with an
ogee-shaped surround while the fourth stage featured an
octagonal piece with
lancet windows and
grotesques. The whole structure was surmounted by an onion-shaped
dome with a ball and
weather vane. == Midland Bank ==