Sights and landmarks in Kingston upon Hull

Sights and landmarks in Kingston upon Hull

1. See

   Andrew Marvell statue

   (1621-1678), poet and MP for Hull. Born at Winestead-in-Holderness just outside Hull he moved to the town when his father took up the position of Lecturer at Holy Trinity church. He was brought up at the Charter House where his father was Master and the garden in which he played is still there. Behind his statue is the Old Grammar School which he attended.

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   Arctic Corsair

   Hull's last remaining sidewinder trawler, berthed in the River Hull to the rear of the Museum Quarter complex. Guided tours are available.

   Free

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   Beverley Gate

   At the Queen Victoria Square end of Whitefriargate an excavated hole containing a small amphitheater and brick wall signals the medieval Beverley Gate. This belonged to the original city walls, and is where King Charles I was refused entry to Hull in the 17th century - the first military act of the English Civil War.

4. See

   East Park

   During 1885 and 1886 unemployment and hunger gripped some parts of Hull and some work was provided for the unemployed in laying out part of East Park. A large park, of some 120 acres had been improved. It is in east Hull off Holderness Road about 2 miles east of the city centre and accessible by the majority of buses that go east. It boasts a large boating and fishing lake, a pavilion and café, a paddling pool, bowling greens, football and rugby pitches, a walk through aviary, a fenced deer park and a smaller lake for sailing models boats. On most Sundays enthusiasts can be found sailing a variety of model boats, of varying complexity, from surface craft to the occasional submarine. A splash boat operates in the summer months along with pedal boats that can be hired. There are shops and pubs near the various entrances which provide the park with good amenities.

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   Ferens Art Gallery

   Permanent collection of Sculpture and Paintings from medieval to present day, and a regular programme of temporary exhibitions from around the world. Strong on old European Masters, particularly Dutch and Flemish, the Ferens also houses some of the best contemporary art in the country. Includes masterpieces by Frans Hals, Antonio Canaletto, Stanley Spencer, David Hockney, Helen Chadwick and Gillian Wearing. There is a pleasant cafe on the ground floor of the gallery with an outside section overlooking part of Prince's dock. In February to April each year it hosts the 'Open Exhibition' to which, for a modest fee, amateurs and professional artists can submit their own work for sale or just display.

   Free

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   Hands on History Museum

   Old Grammar School

   This is one of the oldest grammar schools in England dating back to the 16th century and open until 1873. From 1884 to 1915 it was the Choir School for Holy Trinity church. Among its many famous past scholars were Andrew Marvell and William Wilberforce. In 1988 it became Hands on History Museum which focuses on the history of Hull and its people, recreates Victorian Childhood in the classroom and contains a genuine Egyptian Mummy. Child friendly.

   Free

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   Hull City Hall

   Completed in 1903 and designed by Frank Matcham, the City Hall to some extent defied total destruction by Luftwaffe. When the bomb damage of 1941 was finally made good in 1950 it reopened to emerge, with its green copper roof, as one of the most loved structures in the city. Around the upper west end of the building is a frieze commemorating famous musical composers. The cupola of the previous town hall, built in 1866 by Cuthbert Brodrick, is sited at the west side of Pearson Park. The City Hall now regularly hosts rock, pop and classical concerts, and comedy events. Left of the entrance is the booking office for events in the city, and to the right is the Tourist Information Office.

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   Hull Marina

   Developed from the old derelict Humber Dock in the early 1980s, provides space for 270 yachts and small sailing craft in its permanent and visiting berths. The area is an enjoyable stroll with some great cafes and old pubs, and annually hosts the Sea Fever Shanty Festival.

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   Hull Minster

   It is the largest parish church in England, but as a piece of imposing medieval ecclesiastical architecture, it is more like a cathedral. The oldest parts date back to c. 1300 and the 150-ft-high tower contains a ring of 15 bells.

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    Humber Bridge

    Spanning the Humber Estuary it was the longest single span suspension bridge in the world when it was completed in 1981.

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    Maritime Museum

    Formerly the Whaling Museum and housed in the original Dock Offices for the Prince's Dock and Queen's Dock (now Queen's Gardens). It is a huge, quaintly old-fashioned museum dedicated to Hull's glorious conquest of the High Seas and to the often tragic sacrifices made to it. An elegant staircase rises from the entrance hall and there are displays to interest all ages from the skeleton of a whale to models of ships to explanations of fishing methods. The museum is closed for refurbishment and is expected to reopen in 2025.

    Free

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    Merchants Warehouse

    On the corner of King Street and Robson Row which lies on the south west corner of the square. Once the offices of various merchants it is now flats. This large brick building is a reminder that Hull has no natural building stone nearby so many of the early buildings were of brick.

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    Mick Ronson Memorial Stage

    The main focus of scheduled events throughout the summer months. Constructed after the untimely death from cancer of Mick Ronson, the guitarist who along with two other Hullensians formed David Bowie's band the Spiders from Mars in the early 1970s, and went on to success with Bob Dylan, Elton John, Lou Reed and Morrissey among others. The stage hosted a memorable speech by freeman of the city Archbishop Desmond Tutu in 1997. Behind the stage is a plaque to commemorate the fictional character of Robinson Crusoe, who set sail from Hull in the famed novel of the same name by Daniel Defoe. This book - it has been argued - was the first novel in the English language in 1719.

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    Parliament Street

    leads off Whitefriargate about halfway down. This is the home of many professional practices in the city centre, and this is reflected in its fine Georgian architecture. It was built to give access to the town dock now Queens Gardens.

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    Pearson Park

    This is Hull's first public park, tree planting starting in 1860. It was opened as the Peoples Park, but was later named Pearson Park after Zachariah Pearson, ship owner and at one time Mayor of Hull. He gave the land to the people of Hull but being a shrewd business man retained 12 acres of land round it for housing development. Pearson went bankrupt running arms to the southern states in the American Civil War and is buried in a modest grave in the nearby old General Cemetery on Spring Bank West, which itself is worth a visit. At the east side there is a large pair of ornamental metal gates and within the park there is a small lake and fountain, a ‘Victorian’ glasshouse, statues of Queen Victoria (1861) and Prince Albert (1868), an elegant Victorian drinking fountain (1864), the cupola of the old Town Hall (west side) and next to this a children’s playground. Bowling greens are situated at the east side. Many of the large houses surrounding the park are of interest and include the one in which Philip Larkin, the poet, lived from 1956-1974.

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    Pickering Park

    Named after Christopher Pickering a successful trawler owner who donated 50 acres of land for a park which opened in 1911. Adjacent to the park Pickering also built Pickering Homes, a set of 12 attractive alms houses for ex-fishermen. Situated in west Hull on Pickering Road off Boothferry Road. The park has fishing ponds, football pitches, bowling greens, ornamental gardens, an aviary and a boating lake. The park hosts concerts and fishing competitions

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    Prince Street

    The arch leading to Prince Street is on the west side of the square. This curving Georgian street leads to Dagger Lane. The prince after which it was named was the future King George IV.

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    Queen's Gardens

    Opened in 1930 and built on top of the old Queen's Dock. The dock was built in the late 1700s, and at 10 acres it was the largest dock in England. However, it was not until 1854 that it was named Queen's Dock after Queen Victoria. You can still make out the original shape of the dock in the walls and buildings surrounding the gardens. Some of the buildings on the south side are the old warehouses of the dock. At the east end stands the Wilberforce Monument and at the west, the old dock offices now the Maritime Museum. The gardens are sunk and contain flowerbeds, seating and a large grassy area.

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    Skidby Mill

    Tower mill of 1821 restored to working order, with museum of local farm life.

    Sat-Tue 10AM-4PM·Adult £2.50, conc or child £1.50

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    Spurn Lightship

    Built in 1927, it served for 48 years as a navigation aid in the approaches of the Humber Estuary.

    Free

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    The Avenues

    A conservation area whose varied house architecture and street plan will be of interest to the casual visitor and to those interested in Victorian, Edwardian and post-World War I middle class residential housing. Starting from 1875, when Prince’s Avenue was opened and soon after the inception of Pearson Park, four parallel avenues, Marlborough, Westbourne, Park and Victoria and two cross streets, Richmond and Salisbury, were laid out between Chanterlands Avenue to the west and Prince’s Avenue to the east. The original farm land was subdivided for building purposes in such a way that it produced runs of properties of differing styles though generally towards the west houses are of a later date than those at the east. Circles with fountains were a feature and over the last few decades these have been restored –though not as full fountains. The houses used to have cast iron railings: they were removed for the ‘war effort’ but were never used, the metal being of the wrong kind! Their insertion holes can still be seen in places as can the odd piece of original railing though these are not along the frontage but between houses. By 1910 The Avenues was essentially in its current form. There are many interesting houses in the area but among the largest are those designed by George Gilbert Scott junior built between 1877 and 1879. These can be found along the west side of Salisbury Street between Westbourne and Park Avenue. One or two newer houses might be seen which have either been built on World War II bomb damage, old market gardens, playing fields or in one case a bakery. From its inception, the fortunes of The Avenues have varied. The Avenues and Pearson Park Residents Association (APPR) has led the preservation of the district. On the first two Sundays in July many gardens are open to visitors and at Christmas many windows are lit as ‘Advent Calendars’. The Avenues is mentioned in Pevsner and Neave’s 1995 book but various booklets have also been published about the ar

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    The Charterhouse

    Tucked away in a rather inauspicious area of the city, The Charter House is on Charterhouse Lane, and lies within a small conservation area. The wealthy merchant and first mayor of Hull Sir William de la Pole founded a Priory of Carthusian monks here in 1350, with the further intention of establishing a hospital. The ‘Gods House Hospital’ was eventually established by his son, the charter being granted in 1384 when the first master was appointed. It housed 13 poor men and 13 poor women, and was surrounded by fields through which the River Hull flowed. The institution prospered from income derived from its lands. This attracted the attention of Henry VIII who, in 1536, closed the Priory and turned the monks out. The hospital, however, remained and over time acquired the name The Charterhouse. This name is a corruption of Chartreuse in France where the order of Monks originated from. With Hull’s refusal to admit Charles I in 1642 and the start of the English Civil War, the town became a target for the Royalists and the Charterhouse, being outside the town walls, was demolished so a gun battery could be placed there to defend the town. In 1649 the Master, with his flock, returned to the site and the Charterhouse was rebuilt. However, neglect and decay caused this building to be pulled down in 1777 and a third one was built, the only remaining piece of the original priory being the stone over the door of the Master's House. But more was to come and although the Charterhouse survived World War II, The Blitz that Hull suffered caused much damage to its buildings. Since its restoration and expansion with improved living quarters the people living there now no longer represent de la Poles ‘indigent and decayed persons’ but pay for their accommodation and are called Residents. What is known as the Charter House consists of the Master's House and walled garden where Andrew Marvell is said to have played under the Mulberry tree and on the northern side of the road Old House wh

    The Charterhouse is open to then public once a year, during Hull's Heritage Weekend, and each Sun there is a service in the Chapel from 10AM to 11AM which the public can attend

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    The Deep

    A huge and spectacular aquarium looking out over the Humber estuary. Built as Hull's main millennium project, it has surpassed all expectations to become a massively successful tourist destination and second only in terms of visitor numbers to the Eden Project in Cornwall.

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    The Garden Village

    During the late 1800s and early 1900s a number of industrial philanthropists around the country became aware of the very poor housing occupied by many of their workers and decided to build houses of a higher standard for them. One such philanthropist was Sir James Reckitt, a Quaker, who developed the Hull based company Reckitt and Sons which was started by his father Isaac. The company became Reckitt and Colman in 1938, and Reckitt Benckiser in 1999. In 1907 Sir James formed a company, the Garden Village (Hull) Ltd., with his own money and initiated the building of The Garden Village which he opened on July 1, 1908. The houses were rented, the amount depending on their size, but in 1950, tenants were allowed to buy them. Garden Village has a mix of house size and architectural styles (but all have gardens), there is a large grassy area, The Oval, where the houses were individually designed, a Club House supporting various activities, a colonnaded shopping centre restored as flats and three alms houses, now homes for the elderly, referred to as Havens. All the roads are tree lined and named after trees, e.g. Chestnut Avenue, Lilac Avenue. The area, which lies some 2 miles NE of the city centre (near East Park), can be approached from Holderness Road via Village Road or Laburnum Avenue or from James Reckitt Avenue via Laburnum or Chestnut Avenues.

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    The Guildhall

    Runs adjacent to and on the south side of Queen's Gardens and with Alfred Gelder Street on its south side. Built between 1903 and 1916, to a design chosen by competition, it is the home of the City Council, it also houses the city's silver, the Hull Tapestry, the old magistrate's court, and below this the cells! The Guildhall is a great slab of early 20th-century civic pride, prosperity and confidence. At the west end sits a sculpture symbolising 'Maritime Prowess' atop its ornate Neo-Classical design and at the east end a clock tower. Starting in 1991 The Hull Tapestry took 15 years to complete and in 19 panels depicts important aspects of the city's history and development. The tapestry can be viewed (free of charge) Monday-Thursday 8:30AM-4:30PM, and Friday 8:30AM-3:30PM. To view it ask at the reception desk of the Guildhall. Guildhall tours are also available free of charge but these must be booked in advance.

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    The Land of Green Ginger

    A narrow street connecting the junction of Whitefriargate and Silver Street with the southern end of Manor Street. The name has been used in many works of fiction, but its origin is unclear. It was thought to have originated due to the existence of a nearby medieval spice market, but is more likely due to the son of a Dutch trading family by the name of 'Lindegroen' who possibly established his business in the area and is therefore most probably an English corruption of 'Lindegroen Jonger' (Lindegroen Junior.) The smallest window in England is in the George Hotel on the Land of Green Ginger.

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    The Woollen Warehouse

    With its cartouche above the door of a lamb being weighed, it stands to the east side of the Old Grammar School. This building was once the home of Hull’s Wool Exchange and stands testimony to Hull’s early importance in this trade. The export of wool was initiated in the Middle Ages by the Monks in the area and the various deserted medieval villages of the Wolds (the rolling chalk lands to the north of Hull) are thought to be the result of the early wool trade expansion.

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    Trinity House

    A large cream building - occupies the area on the corner of Trinity House Lane and Postern Gate. In the 14th century a Carmelite Friary stood here. Trinity House took over the site in the 16th century. Starting as a guild to care for mariners and their families, Trinity House expanded to control the movement of shipping in the Humber. The present façade dates from 1753, and of particular note is the decorated pediment on the east side incorporating a lion, unicorn, Britannia and Neptune.

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    West Park

    Much smaller than East Park it was opened in 1885 and is adjacent to the Walton Street Park and Ride. A model railway is operated by volunteers and more information on this could be obtained from Hull and District Society of Model and Experimental Engineers. There are bowling greens and at the south west corner is the interesting Carnegie Library now a local heritage resource centre. The park is now rather over shadowed by the KC Stadium and suffers a little from the proximity of busy roads. However, there is a £7 million make over planned for this park

30. See

    Wilberforce House

    Birthplace and residence of William Wilberforce (1759-1833), MP for Hull and slavery abolitionist, whose anti-slavery bill was finally passed in 1807 after his tireless campaigning. The house has been a museum in his memory since 1903.

    Mon-Sat 10AM-5PM, Sun 1:30PM-4:30PM·Free

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    Hull Parks

    Three of the four main ones were laid out in the late 1800s as a response to Victorian altruism to provide the population with open green areas for recreation. There are four major parks but several smaller ones. Like many parks in the world, wandering in them at night may not be judicious.

32. See

    Streetlife Museum of Transport

    Showcases 200 years of transportation history.

    Mon-Sat 10AM-5PM·Free

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Kingston upon Hull (CC BY-SA 4.0).