The Old Court House

The Old Court House is a former court house built in the 18th century. It is constructed of reddish-brown brick and features a pantile roof with raised brick verges and a gable end facing the square. The building has stepped and dentilled eaves that extend across the gable end. A brick staircase leads to a blocked first-floor entrance in the north gable end. Incorporated into the staircase is a hammer-dressed stone shelf that was once used as a mounting block, along with a plaque that reads: 'The Old Court House of the Ancient Borough of Aldborough and Boroughbridge at which the Members of Parliament were elected until 1832.' There is a slightly lower extension to the south and two doors on the east elevation. Until the First Reform Act, Aldborough was a pocket borough that returned two Members of Parliament. The building has group value with Stocks House and the rest of the square.