Plymouth Guildhall

Last updated

Plymouth Guildhall
Plymouth Guildhall.jpg
The west front of the guildhall
Location Plymouth, Devon
Coordinates 50°22′11″N4°08′29″W / 50.369791°N 4.141469°W / 50.369791; -4.141469
Built1874
ArchitectNorman and Hine
Architectural style(s) Gothic Revival style
Listed Building – Grade II
Designated1 May 1975
Reference no.1113280
Devon UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location of Plymouth Guildhall in Devon

Plymouth Guildhall is located on Guildhall Square in the city centre of Plymouth, Devon, England. It is a Grade II listed building. [1]

Contents

History

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 one of a pair of civic buildings on opposite sides of Guildhall Square which were built at the same time; facing it on the north side of the square was the Municipal Offices, which housed the council's administrative offices and council chamber. The guildhall incorporated courtrooms and a great hall for ceremonial functions and public events. Both buildings were officially opened by Prince of Wales on 13 August 1874. [3] [4]

The design for the west front of the guildhall, where the entrance now is, involved an octagonal tower on the left and a 50 meters (160 ft) high square tower on the right. [5] Internally, the principal room was the Great Hall: a pipe organ, made by Henry Willis & Sons, was installed in the hall and the first recital given on 22 October 1878. [6]

The guildhall and the surrounding buildings, including the municipal offices, were reduced to shells on the night of 21 March 1941 during the Plymouth Blitz of the Second World War. [3] The ruins of the municipal offices were demolished and not rebuilt. [4] 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]

A new headquarters for the city council was completed in 1962 at the Civic Centre, located a short distance to the west of the guildhall. [7] Meanwhile, the assize courts, which had met in the guildhall, moved to the new Law Courts in Armada Way in 1963. [8]

Description

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. [9] 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. [10] A large 19th century tapestry, made at Gobelins Manufactory, hangs at the front and depicts Raphael's vision of the "Miraculous Drought of Fishes". [10] Famous performers in the hall have included the rock bands The Who in December 1965, [11] Status Quo in March 1973 [12] and Queen in March 1974, [13] as well as the European Union Chamber Orchestra conducted by Julian Lloyd Webber in April 2009. [14] [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Town hall</span> Chief administrative building of a municipality

In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre, guildhall, or municipal building is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city or town council, its associated departments, and their employees. It also usually functions as the base of the mayor of a city, town, borough, county or shire, and of the executive arm of the municipality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guildhall, London</span> Municipal building in London, England

Guildhall is a municipal building in the Moorgate area of the City of London, England. It is off Gresham and Basinghall streets, in the wards of Bassishaw and Cheap. The current building dates from the 15th century; however documentary evidence suggests that a guildhall had existed at the site since at least the early 12th century. The building has been used as a town hall for several hundred years, and is still the ceremonial and administrative centre of the City of London and its Corporation. It should not be confused with London's City Hall, the administrative centre for Greater London. The term "Guildhall" refers both to the whole building and to its main room, which is a medieval great hall. It is a Grade I-listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toronto City Hall</span> Canadian city hall, opened 1965

The Toronto City Hall, or New City Hall, is the seat of the municipal government of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and one of the city's most distinctive landmarks. Designed by Viljo Revell and engineered by Hannskarl Bandel, the building opened in 1965. The building is located adjacent to Nathan Phillips Square, a public square at the northwest intersection of Bay Street and Queen Street, that was designed and officially opened alongside Toronto City Hall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southampton Civic Centre</span> Municipal building in Southampton, Hampshire, England

The Civic Centre is a municipal building located in the Cultural Quarter area within the city of Southampton, England. It comprises offices occupied by Southampton City Council, the SeaCity Museum, the Guildhall, the Southampton City Art Gallery, and the city library. It was designed by the English architect Ernest Berry Webber in the Classical style in 1929 and constructed over a ten-year period. It was completed in 1939. Pevsner's Hampshire: South describes it as "the most ambitious civic building erected in the provinces in the interwar years". It was designated as a Grade II* listed building in 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swansea Guildhall</span> Municipal Building in Swansea, Wales

The Guildhall is one of the main office buildings of the City and County of Swansea Council. The Guildhall complex, which includes the City Hall, Brangwyn Hall and the County Law Courts for Swansea, is a Grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">York Guildhall</span> Grade I listed building in York, England

York Guildhall is a municipal building located in St Martins Courtyard, Coney Street, in York. Located behind the Mansion House, it is a Grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portsmouth Guildhall</span> Municipal building in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England

Portsmouth Guildhall is a multi-use building in the centre of Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. It is located in a pedestrian square close to Portsmouth and Southsea railway station. Constructed in 1890, the building was known as Portsmouth Town Hall until 1926. It was heavily damaged by bombing during the Second World War and largely rebuilt during the 1950s by the English architect Ernest Berry Webber. It now operates as a concert, wedding and conference venue. It is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leicester Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Leicester, Leicestershire, England

Leicester Town Hall stands at Town Hall Square in the city centre of Leicester, England. The building, which is the meeting place of Leicester City Council, is a Grade II* listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Durham Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Durham, County Durham, England

Durham Town Hall is a municipal building in the Market Place, Durham, England. It is a Grade II* listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cambridge Guildhall</span> Municipal building in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England

Cambridge Guildhall is a civic building in the centre of the historic city of Cambridge, England. It includes two halls, The Large Hall and The Small Hall, and is used for many disparate events such as comedy acts, conferences, craft fairs, live music, talks, and weddings. It is also used by the University of Cambridge for certain examinations. It is owned and managed by the Cambridge City Council, and it is their seat of government. The Guildhall is located on the south side of Market Hill, the market square in Cambridge, between Peas Hill to the west and Guildhall Street to the east. It is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norwich Guildhall</span> Municipal building in Norwich, Norfolk, England

Norwich Guildhall is a municipal building on Gaol Hill in the city of Norwich, United Kingdom. It is a Grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Civic, Christchurch</span> Former civic offices in Christchurch, New Zealand

The Civic in Manchester Street, Christchurch Central City, was one of the former civic buildings of Christchurch City Council (CCC). Built in 1900, it was first used as an exhibition hall, a cinema and then a theatre. It burned down in 1917. The northern part of the building was purchased by CCC and opened as the civic office in 1924, and served this purpose until 1980. After that it had several uses, including a restaurant, bar and live music venue. The building was heavily damaged in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, and was demolished.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Our City, Christchurch</span> Former civic offices in Christchurch, New Zealand

Our City, more formally Our City O-Tautahi, also known as the Old Municipal Chambers, is a Queen Anne style building on the corner of Worcester Street and Oxford Terrace in the Christchurch Central City. It is a Category I heritage building registered with Heritage New Zealand. From 1887 to 1924 it was used by Christchurch City Council as their civic offices, providing room for meetings of the council and for housing staff, before they moved to the Civic. It was then used for many decades by the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce and served as the main tourist information. It was last used as an exhibition and events centre before being damaged in the Christchurch earthquakes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bolton Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Bolton, Greater Manchester, England

Bolton Town Hall in Victoria Square, Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, was built between 1866 and 1873 for the County Borough of Bolton to designs by William Hill of Leeds and George Woodhouse of Bolton. The town hall was extended in the 1930s to the designs of Bradshaw, Gass and Hope and has been designated a Grade II* listed building by English Heritage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Council House, Coventry</span> Municipal building in Coventry, West Midlands, England

The Council House, Coventry is a Tudor Revival style civic building which acts as the meeting place of Coventry City Council and was built in the early 20th century. It is a Grade II-listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plymouth Civic Centre</span> Municipal building in Plymouth, Devon, England

Plymouth Civic Centre is the former headquarters of Plymouth City Council on Armada Way in Plymouth, Devon, England. The building is in two sections, comprising a 14-storey tower block which housed the council's offices, and a two-storey southern wing called the Council House which includes the council chamber and is linked to the tower block by a bridge at first floor level. The building was completed in 1962. The council sold the tower block part of the building in 2015, but the Council House remains the council's meeting place. The whole complex has been a Grade II listed building since 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High Wycombe Town Hall</span> Municipal building in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England

High Wycombe Town Hall is a public building located on Queen Victoria Road in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England. The building, which is used as an events venue, is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bridgwater Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Bridgwater, Somerset, England

Bridgwater Town Hall is a municipal building in the High Street, Bridgwater, Somerset, England. The town hall, which was the headquarters of Bridgwater Borough Council, is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tavistock Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Tavistock, Devon, England

Tavistock Town Hall is a municipal building in Bedford Square, Tavistock, Devon, England. The structure, which remains the main venue for civic events in the town, is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conwy Guildhall</span> Municipal Building in Conwy, Wales

Conwy Guildhall is a municipal structure in Rose Hill Street, Conwy, Wales. The guildhall, which is the meeting place of Conwy Town Council, is a Grade II listed building.

References

  1. 1 2 Historic England. "Guildhall including Great Hall, Assize Courts and former City Treasury, City of Plymouth (1113280)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 26 August 2019.
  2. 1 2 "Guildhalls". Plymouth.data. Archived from the original on 8 June 2013. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Present Guildhall". Plymouth.data. Archived from the original on 29 May 2013. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  4. 1 2 "Municipal Offices". Plymouth Data. Archived from the original on 29 May 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  5. "Plymouth Guildhall". Emporis. Retrieved 22 August 2020.[ dead link ]
  6. Smart, Jason (1 December 2007). "The Organ of Plymouth Guildhall" (PDF). Plymouth Organists. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  7. "Plymouth, Civic Centre". Plymouth.data. Archived from the original on 20 May 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  8. "Courts of Justice". Old Plymouth. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  9. "Plymouth Guildhall". www.plymouth.gov.uk. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  10. 1 2 "Celebrate, Share, Love Your Guildhall" (PDF). Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  11. Neill, Andrew; Kent, Matthew (2009). Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere: The Complete Chronicle of the WHO 1958–1978. Sterling Publishing Company. p. 303. ISBN   978-1402766916.
  12. "Status Quo Gigography and Live Tapes Archive" . Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  13. "Plymouth Guildhall". Setlist. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  14. "European Union Chamber Orchestra". Plymouth Pavilions Classical Concert Series. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  15. "The Great Hall". www.plymouth.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 2 December 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2020.