[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.

[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.

[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.

[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".