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.
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
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
Do
A must for people trying to trace their ancestors from the area and Hulls history in general. Opened in 2009, this state-of-the-art facility holds documents from the City Council's Family History and City Archives as well as some from the University of Hull. It is behind the New Theatre on Worship Street.