Plymouth Guildhall

The first guildhall can be dated back to the 15th century and is believed to have been located in the Old Town; it was replaced by a second guildhall which was erected in the Southside Street / Woolster Street area in 1440.[2] A third guildhall was built in the Jacobean style at the junction of High Street and Whimple Street in 1607; this was demolished to allow a fourth guildhall, designed by a Mr Eveleigh, to be built and completed in 1800.[2]

The foundation stone for the current building, which was the fifth, was laid by the mayor, William Luscombe, on 28 July 1870.[3] It was designed by Norman and Hine of Plymouth with artistic direction by Edward William Godwin in the Gothic Revival style and built by Messrs Call and Pethick.[3] The building was officially opened by the Prince of Wales on 13 August 1874.[3] The design for the west front, where the entrance now is, involved an octagonal tower on the left and a 50 meters (160 ft) high square tower on the right.[4] Internally, the principal room was the Great Hall: a pipe organ, made by Henry Willis & Sons, was installed in the hall in October 1978.[5]

The building's role increased in importance when the Three Towns of Plymouth, Devonport and Stonehouse amalgamated in 1914 and municipal functions were transferred to the expanded City of Plymouth.[6]

The guildhall and the surrounding buildings were reduced to shells on the night of 21 March 1941 during the Plymouth Blitz of the Second World War.[3] Paton Watson and Patrick Abercombie envisaged a Beaux Arts city which would have involved the demolition of the Guildhall: their proposal was rejected by one council vote in 1951.[1] Following the restoration of the building, which involved a new roof, entrances and interior, the building was re-opened by Field Marshal the Viscount Montgomery of Alamein on 24 September 1959.[3]

Although the City Treasurer's Department remained in the east wing of the guildhall, the council continued to need more space and most departments moved to Plymouth Civic Centre, located a short distance to the west of the guildhall, in 1962.[7]

The Great Hall is currently a multi-purpose venue, hosting a range of events throughout the year including graduations, award ceremonies, weddings and civil ceremonies.[8] Fourteen stained glass windows, designed by Frederick Halford Coventry (1905-1997), line the sides of the hall and depict notable moments in Plymouth's history.[9] A large 19th century tapestry, made at Gobelins Manufactory, hangs at the front and depicts Raphael's vision of the "Miraculous Drought of Fishes".[9] Famous performers in the hall have included the rock band Status Quo in March 1973, [10] the rock band Queen in March 1974[11] and the European Union Chamber Orchestra conducted by Julian Lloyd Webber in April 2009.[12][13]