The town hall was built in 1933 (Listed building ref: 333696) on land that was cleared of dense terraced housing likely to have also contained commercial premises. This area is likely to be within the medieval planned settlement that ran along Church Street and Shambles Street. The town was relocated to this area by the monks of Pontefract by the 13th century from its original position further north west (Old Town) (Elliot 2002, 37). There is partial legibility of the past townscape as the main medieval street pattern survives.