The market place is one of the largest squares in the North of England. The obelisk (1781) commemorates William Aislabie's 60th anniversary as a member of parliament. A horn is blown every evening at 9pm "to set the watch" in a tradition dating back to AD886. The Town Hall, built by James Wyatt in 1801, houses the city's four horns, including the charter horn, several centuries old and a symbol of the granting of the first charter to Ripon in 886.