Town Hall

The Town Hall, built in 1750 by Gibbs, was formerly known as Bank Hall and served as the seat of the Patten family. It is considered by Pevsner to be the finest house of its date in South Lancashire. This Palladian-style building stands three storeys tall and features rusticated stone facing over red brick, a hipped slate roof, a brick parapet, and a stone modillioned cornice. The main front has a slight central projection adorned with four Corinthian columns, a frieze, and a pediment displaying a coat of arms. There are nine sash windows with glazing bars set in moulded architraves; the first floor features a mix of segmental and pointed pediments, except for the three central windows between the columns, which are arched. The centre of the first floor has double doors accessed by a flight of stone steps with iron railings and four lamps. Curved flanking walls extend from the main house to the entrances of the side courts. The garden front is similar but lacks columns.

Inside, there are two stone staircases with iron balustrades and decorative plasterwork. There are also detached service blocks on either side, each with a long rectangular plan that is similar but not identical in detail. These blocks are two storeys high, with a three-storeyed centre finished with a pediment; the centre is rusticated stone while the side wings are brick, comprising a total of 13 bays.

In front of the building, the east and west drives are lined with five iron standard lamps featuring round lanterns. The entrance gateway is impressive, consisting of four square hollow iron piers with patterned tracery, six elaborately ornamented iron gates standing about 20 feet high, topped with four angels on the piers. A round arch over the centre supports the coat of arms, and this entrance was exhibited at the London Exhibition of 1862. The Town Hall, along with the Borough Treasurer's Office, Bank House, and the eastern and western outbuildings, as well as the entrance gates, piers, and lamps, form a cohesive group with additional nearby properties.