Discover Topics: Features

Hull Minster

Did you know these little-known tales of Hull’s Old Town?

Beverley Gate, Trinity Square, Museum Gardens and Wilberforce House – are full of action at the moment, so we thought we’d learn more about these well-loved sites, steeped in Hull’s vibrant history.

Beverley Gate

Beverley Gate was the site of a long stand-off.

We all know that Beverley Gate was the site of the alleged scene that triggered the English Civil War, but did you know how long King Charles I waited at the gate? On 23 April 1642 at about 11am the King arrived, finding the gates ready for an enemy. Although Charles I was denied entry straight away, he waited (in vain) until 4pm. During these impressive 5 hours, he gave Sir John Hotham, Governor of Hull, an hour to make a final decision. It’s thought that during this hour each party took a much-deserved break for refreshments. Never make a decision on an empty stomach.

The old city wall is made from millions of bricks.

When the city’s defences were rebuilt between 1341 and 1404 they used an estimated 4.7 million bricks for the walls alone. If you include the gate this figure is probably in excess of 5 million. This formidable wall, that represented perhaps the largest single use of bricks in medieval England, disappeared when the docks were dug out in the 1770s.

Queens Gardens was once dockland.

It was Hull’s first dock, which followed the route of the old wall. The dock went by a number of names in its time: The Dock, The Old Dock and by 1855 Queen’s Dock, its official title. Imagine – boats would sail past the site of the Maritime Museum, the former dock office building. In 1930 the dock was filled in to make way for Queens Gardens – a remarkable transformation.

Trinity Square

From Trinity Square, you can see 700 years of Hull’s history in its buildings.

The Minster dates from the 1300s and is as old as Hull itself. It’s here that William Wilberforce was baptised!

The Old Grammar School (now the Hands On History Museum) was completed in 1583, and boasts William Wilberforce and Andrew Marvell as alumni, while nearby Prince Street was established in the 1770s, showcasing some of Hull’s finest Georgian architecture. Take a look down Posterngate and you’ll see a glimpse of Princes Quay Shopping Centre in all its modern glory.

Trinity Square has a (recent) past life as a market.

Known to many in the city as Market Place – before the Trinity Square name stuck – the square is remembered for its twice weekly outdoor market, including a stall from Hull favourite Bob Carver’s. Market holders would sell all kinds of wares, including fabric and buttons, clothes, shoes, jewellery and fruit and veg – a one stop shop for a cheap bargain. Alan Pater’s Land of Green Ginger, part of the BBC’s Play for Today series, offers a brilliant snapshot of this area in the 1970s.

Wilberforce House

Wilberforce House is one of the oldest buildings in Hull.

Remembered as the birthplace of Hull’s abolitionist pioneer William Wilberforce, the house as it stands now was built in the 1660s and was originally owned and designed by Hugh Lister, the son of a wealthy merchant. Before becoming a museum, the house had a dual function as both a home and place of business, making use of its location next to the River Hull, a key transportation link for trade.

King Charles I stayed here.

Well, sort of. In 1639 Charles I lodged at the home of Sir John Lister, former Mayor of Hull (and father of Hugh Lister), on the site of what is now Wilberforce House. He commented then that the city was well defended – only 3 years later he would come to Hull’s gates and be denied entry.

It’s the city’s oldest museum too

As early as 1896 there was a campaign to preserve the house as a museum. The building was opened to the public in 1906, with exhibits covering Wilberforce’s legacy, slavery and local history collections. It remains a lasting monument to William Wilberforce and the history of the abolitionist movement.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYQR6OYA5ux/

Museum Gardens

The gardens feature relics from the blitz.

There are two statues in the gardens that were rescued from the rubble of the old Municipal Museum on Albion Street, which was destroyed by an incendiary bomb in 1943. The statues, one of the Roman goddess of wisdom Minerva, plus one of ‘Science’ and ‘Art’, are fitting reminders of the old museum and its purpose.

You can also find the bust of Gandhi here, unveiled in 2004. Created by sculptor Jaiprakash Shirgaonkar, the bust bears the inscription ‘May noble thoughts come to us from all directions’.

High Street is Hull’s oldest street.

Hull’s original city centre dates back to the medieval period. It was located here so merchants could be close to the River Hull, but its proximity to the river meant the area was prone to flooding. Originally a mixture of merchant homes, warehouses and pubs, the street was (until recently) the only High Street in the UK that didn’t have a single shop.

You can find a monument to activists here.

Inscribed on a wall surrounding the garden are the names of campaigners for human and civil rights causes. Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincoln and Sylvia Pankhurst are all remembered here.

 

Enjoyed reading about the Hull’s medieval old town? You would love our Historic Pubs

Hull Marina © Thomas Arran

Book a weekend break

There is so much going in the city this that we don’t think you’ll fit it all into a single day, so don’t rush!

Extend your stay and be at the heart of the action with a short break in Hull. Wake up in a room overlooking the beautiful marina or to the distant toll of the Hull Minster bells in the old town.

The city has so much to offer with 8 free museums and galleries including the award winning Ferens Art Gallery, take a stroll in the historic old town with streets lined with olde world pubs and cafe bars and restaurants. The Old Town has recently played host to film crews for BBC Victoria and the feature film The Personal History of David Copperfield so you just don’t know who you might bump into.

Join the Ale Trail and discover hidden historic pubs with roaring open fires, get a birds eye tour of the city by joining one of the behind the scenes Minster rooftop tours or on those crisp clear days,  follow the fish trail as it winds across the city, you just don’t know what you might run into around the next corner.

Find your perfect accommodation in our stay section and start planning your fantastic weekend break

My visit to the deep

The Deep is one of the most spectacular aquariums in the world and is home to approximately  5000 animals, including the only pair of green sawfish in Britain, impressive sharks and rays, penguins, jellyfish and hundreds of other fish species. However, there is not only a lot to see there, but also a lot to learn. The aquarium gives a lot of information about the history of the sea, about the life of the different species and about the waste in the sea, which harms the marine animals.

My expectations of the aquarium were quite high, as it was recommended to me by previous visitors. Nevertheless, my expectations were exceeded, as The Deep is such a huge and unique aquarium with lots of things to see. The highlight of my visit were definitely the penguins, because I have never seen penguins before. But also the sharks and rays were very interesting to watch. The soothing sounds and the appropriate lighting in the aquarium created a very relaxing atmosphere, with which one could easily immerse oneself in underwater life. I have also learned a lot about the huge impact people have on marine life and how anyone can make life safer underwater. In general, the aquarium pays a lot of attention to the welfare of the animals and calls on visitors to be considerate of their lives and not to contaminate the oceans with plastic.

Overall, I really enjoyed my visit and I would strongly recommend a visit to The Deep, as there is a lot to see and there is something for everyone.

Sophie Shaina The Deep

Our visit to the Deep

The Deep is one of the biggest aquariums in the UK with over 300 separate species and approximately 5,000 animals overall. Before going into detail, we would like to share our expectations first. We thought we would just see some fishes and maybe a couple of other sea animals, but when we arrived, we immediately noticed that there would be much more to see.

As we walked into the exhibition, we already read much information about the aquarium itself. Especially the size of the marine exhibit excited us the most because usually the animals do not have that much space. The Deep really takes care of their sea animals and their welfare are their highest priority. Another good aspect were the many interactive stations, where especially the younger visitors could learn a lot in a playful way. Furthermore, the pollution is brought to attention which really makes you thoughtful of the sea dwellers, you just learned about.
In hindsight, we want to diminish our consumption of plastic and pay attention to the environment.  We would particularly visit the Deep anytime, because they are ambassadors of the oceans.
Also it is an education charity to protect the future of animals and oceans. We had a great day in the big aquarium, learned more about the marine exhibit and endangered species.
Especially because the Deep does care about the environment, like their slogan, “For conservation, not profit” says, there are no negative aspects to share.

In our opinion, the highlight of our visit was the elevator which takes you through the largest fish tank in The Deep. Meanwhile, we could have a close look at the different kinds of fish in it.
Another outstanding part of our visit were the jellyfishes because they were really calming to look at in combination with the relaxing music playing in the background.

Beer in Hull

Try this Hull pub crawl – with beers made right here in the city

In honour of this, we have put together our own little Hull pub crawl, using places where you can sip beer brewed right here, in Hull (or very near).

Atom Bar
Ye Olde Corn Exchange, North Church Side

The Hull brewery moved into the Corn Exchange last year and it’s quickly become a much-loved watering hole for the city’s beer-lovers. Alongside a wide-range of craft beer, Atom stocks its own signature range of Atom brew. And it’s not all about liquids at Atom. GLUG has its hands on the reins of the kitchen and churns out a range of dishes, inspired by cooking from across the globe and complementing the house nectar.

The Taphouse
Humber Street, Fruit Market

Taphouse Brewpub is both a working brewery and stylish bar, offering almost 40 draught craft beers, lagers and ciders.

The latest joint to waltz its way into the Fruit Market is the home of the Yorkshire Brewing Company, which has been brewing on the site for the past six years, and Bone Machine Brewing Company. As well as serving up the delights from the in-house brewery, it also offers a wide-range of draught real ales, craft beers, lagers and ciders, which change from week to week.

The Brain Jar
Trinity House Lane

The Brain Jar doesn’t have the widest range of beers (though it does have just about every spirit under the sun). However, it does stock a local brewery with its roots firmly in Hull – in Bricknell Avenue to be precise. The small-scale Bricknell Brewery specialises in the production of unusual hand-crafted bottle-conditioned beers that you are unlikely to find in most supermarkets. If you want a tip, the chocolate porter is excellent.

Vittles & Company
Trinity Market

The micro-brewery brews and sells its beer in Trinity Market. Picture: Vittles & Company

You don’t have to leave your house to enjoy local brew if you stock up in advance. If you enjoy sipping from the comfort of your own sofa, you can always take a trip to Trinity Market’s Vittles & Company. The micro-brewery claims to be Hull’s smallest commercial brewery – brewing just 50 litres at a time. As well as stocking its own shop in the market, the brewery also sells craft ales from across Yorkshire, the UK and further afield.

Pave
Princes Avenue

Maybe you don’t fancy a city centre stroll on Sunday? No worries, there are plenty of bars, pubs and restaurants all over the city stocking locally sourced beer. Princes Avenue has plenty. Pave (literally an abbreviation of Princes Ave for anyone that hasn’t worked it out yet) has a constantly changing range of guest ales, as well as its usual favourites. Wold Top is one of the local breweries often stocked at the bar. Founded in 2003 by arable farmers Tom and Gill Mellor, the brewery is based high on the Yorkshire Wolds (so yeah, not Hull, but not a million miles away). Another is Great Newsome. Again, it’s not in Hull, but the East Yorkshire brewery (South Frodingham, near Withernsea, for anyone that wants to be more specific) is close enough.

Hull Minster © Mike Bartlett

EXPLORE EVERY ANGLE…

Have you even *been* to Hull if you haven’t shown it off on your Insta?! We think our city looks pretty good and we love seeing it through your lenses, too. Use the hashtag #VisitHull and tag us @visithulluk

Here’s a little tour of some of our favourite photography locations:

1: Queen Victoria Square – home to some truly impressive architecture in the shape of the Maritime Museum, Ferens Art Gallery and Hull City Hall. The fountains complete the look. HU1 3RA.

2: Paragon Arcade – a beautiful Victorian independent shopping arcade that has recently had a sympathetic revamp. HU1 3PQ.

3: Solar Gate, Queen’s Gardens – this public artwork by artist Tonkin Lui acts as an enormous sun dial to mark significant dates in Hull’s history. HU1 3DJ.

4: Land Of Green Ginger – home of Hull’s most-photographed street sign, the country’s smallest window and one of Hull’s greatest unsolved mysteries – how did this street get its unusual name? HU1 2EA.

5: Hepworth’s Arcade – a rare, L-shaped Grade II-listed Victorian shopping arcade with a gorgeous glass roof and great independent shops. HU1 1JU.

6: Prince Street – this unusually curved colourful Georgian street always attracts attention. You’ll find it between Princes Dock Street and Trinity Square. HU1 2LJ.

7: Hull Minster and reflection pools, Trinity Square – get the angle right and you’ll capture the Minster and its reflection in the mesmerising ripple pools in one shot. HU1 2JJ.

8: The marina – the Hull riviera. There are no bad shots on a sunny day, if the weather’s not cooperating, take your snap from one of many nearby cafes and restaurants. HU1 2DQ.

9: Humber Street – the beating heart of Hull’s revitalised Fruit Market. Full of independent shops, galleries, bars and restaurants, and a key location of Hull’s festival summers, it takes a great photo. HU1 1UU.

10: Voyage by Steinunn Thorasrinsdottir – this striking statue faces out to sea in the direction Hull’s travwlermen travelled. It has a counterpart, For, in the Icelandic village of Vik, which faces Hull, HU1 1UU

Inspired? Book a short break now with some amazing rates on hotels, chic self catering apartments and boutique stays!

Tour Guide Paul Schofield

LET US SHOW YOU AROUND…ONLY IN HULL

We’re ever so slightly biased, of course, but we’re with Larkin on this one. Hull’s “sudden elegancies” catch the eye when you least expect them, revealing sides of Yorkshire’s only maritime city that are truly unique.

Here are just a few reasons why:

Only in Hull…  can you visit the spot where the Governor of Hull Sir John Hotham and pals decided to rebel against King Charles I by refusing to allow him into the city at Beverley Gate in 1642 – thereby triggering the English Civil War. It’s upstairs in the “Plotting Parlour” of Ye Olde White Harte pub in Silver Street.

Only in Hull… can you pay tribute to another independent spirit, Amy Johnson, a pioneering Hull pilot who was the first woman to fly solo from Britain to Australia in 1930. Look out for her statue in Prospect Street, a mock-up of her Gipsy Moth plane Jason in St Stephen’s shopping centre and some of the colourful wall-mounted moth sculptures inspired by her plane across the city.

Only in Hull… can you find cream telephone boxes. Even our phone boxes like to be different.

 

 TOP TIP: Psst! Want to take an unique shortcut between Scale Lane/High Street in the Old Town to The Deep and Fruit Market? Scale Lane footbridge is the world’s first to allow foot passengers to ride on the bridge as it swings open. Listen carefully, and you should hear birdsong as you glide over the River Hull.

 

DID YOU KNOW? A whopping 40% of our city-centre businesses are independents helping to provide a shopping experience that you really won’t find anywhere else in the world.

Only in Hull… can you stock up on whoopee cushions and trick chewing gum at the favourite joke shop of comedian Reese Shearsmith and mind master Derren Brown. Visit the wonder of the world that is Dinsdale’s Joke and Trick Shop in Hepworth Arcade and discover why it’s been going strong since the 1930s. All the stylish and quirky shops in the glorious Hepworth and Paragon arcades are worth checking out, from Fanthorpe’s for music gear, to Beasley’s for vintage clothing, Bierhaus craft beer shop, White Rabbit chocolatiers, Two Gingers coffee shop and Marla’s for food.

Only in Hull… can you peer into England’s smallest window. See if you can spot it at The George pub in The Land of Green Ginger. In fact, only in Hull is there a street called the Land of Green Ginger.

Only in Hull… can you play air guitar on the Mick Ronson memorial stage in Queens Gardens, where David Bowie’s most celebrated  guitarist used to work as a groundsman; or at the spot in Whitefriargate where Paul Heaton and Stan Cullimore used to busk before they hit the big time with The Housemartins.

Inspired? Book a short break now with some amazing rates on hotels, chic self catering apartments and boutique stays!

 

The Deep

WE KNOW A PLACE…THAT THE KIDS WILL LOVE

If the kids are happy, the adults are happy, right? Take the strain out of family days out with our top tips to entertain families with children of all ages (yep, even those tricky toddlers and teens!).

Let’s start with our fabulous free museums and galleries. In Queen Victoria Square, Ferens Art Gallery has a permanent dedicated children’s space where younger visitors can play, and is welcoming to everyone. On the other side of the square, the Maritime Museum tells the fascinating tale of the city’s seafaring heritage… plus the slightly fishier tale of our own little mermaid!

Speaking of fish, keep your eyes peeled as you walk through the city centre from this point to see if you can spot the 41 fish inlaid in the pavements.

TOP TIP: Take a towel and a change of clothes if Queen Victoria Square is on your itinerary – it doesn’t matter how old or cool your kids are, these fountains are irresistible on a sunny day!

In the Old Town, there’s a dedicated, free Museums Quarter in High Street. At the Hull and East Riding Museum you can whizz through 250,000 years of Hull’s history, starting with Mortimer – a life-sized recreation of an East Yorkshire woolly mammoth. The Streetlife Museum is another big hit with families, with plenty of ways to get on board with the sight, sounds and smells of transport through the ages. Next door at Wilberforce House, you can explore the birthplace and legacy of Hull’s famous anti-slavery campaigner William Wilberforce.

All ages are welcome at Humber Street Gallery in the vibrant Fruit Market area near Hull’s stunning marina. If you have any dinosaur fans in the family, you won’t be able to miss independent dinosaur museum Dinostar and, just over the footbridge, you’ll find the iconic aquarium The Deep, home to 3,500 sharks, fish and penguins… and some spectacular viewing areas. Both Dinostar and The Deep offer great-value annual passes.

There’s a jam-packed summer of family-friendly events ahead. Highlights include:

• The Lord Mayor’s Hanse Day in Queen Victoria Square and Trinity Square on 8 June, 10am-4pm – a tribute to Hull’s medieval trading past that this year is going to be bigger and better than ever, across two sites, with jousting, fire-breathing jesters, roaming musicians, dancers, children’s activities and musical workshops, crafts and a chance for all ages to show off your handiwork in parades around Queen Victoria Square and Trinity Square. Allow at least half a day. Suitable for all ages.
• The Big Malarkey in East Park on 29-30 June. This children’s literature festival has grown into a firm annual favourite since its launch during Hull’s year as UK City of Culture in 2017. Special guests this year include celebrated children’s book illustrator and author Nick Sharratt, Oi Dog! author Kes Gray, the creator of the hilarious Barry Loser series Jim Smith, and MG Leonard who wrote the fantastical Beetle Boy adventures. Tickets to the weekend festival, which takes place a short drive east of the city centre, are due to go on sale on 20 April, from www.thebigmalarkeyfestival.com. Great for families with babies, children and young people aged 0-16.
• National Play Day in Queens Gardens on 7 August – get there early for free fun and frolics. All welcome, but best suited to those aged 0-11.

TOP TIP: Hop on and off a land train at Queen Victoria Square, the Museums Quarter, or The Deep for a fun and irreverent look at some of the city centre’s most popular attractions.

Don’t forget, if you’re looking for personal recommendations for your family, Hull’s blue-jacketed cultural volunteers are happy to help. You’ll find them at the Welcome Information Centre at Paragon Interchange, and at attractions all over the city centre.

Inspired? Book a short break now with some amazing rates on hotels, chic self catering apartments and boutique stays!

LET US SHOW YOU AROUND…Hull’s great outdoors

You can find trails around public squares, shopping streets, parkland, the Old Town, the free Museums’ Quarter and the former dock, from post-industrial riverside areas to the swanky marina and  Fruit Market.

En route, you’ll be able to find out all about Hull’s impressive maritime heritage, inspirational stories and our city’s rebellious history at the exact spot on Beverley Gate where we allegedly sparked the English Civil War by refusing to allow King Charles I entry to the city in 1642.

Pick up a City Walking Trail leaflet from the Welcome Information Centre at Paragon Interchange. It includes:

  • The Fish Trail (follow the 41 fish in the pavements, from the weird – we’re looking at you, Warty Doris and Lumpsucker – to the wonderful – or to be precise – the Brill).
  • The Blue Plaque Trail.
  • The Ale Trail (always inexplicably popular, this one).
  • The Wilberforce Trail, a chance to follow in the footsteps of William Wilberforce.
  • The Statue Trail.
  • The Museums and Galleries Trail.
  • The Lord Mayor’s Centenary Plaque Trail.
  • The Larkin Trail, for an insight into the “different resonance” that one of the 20th-century’s best-known poets saw in Hull, and the settings that inspired him to write some of his most famous poems.

If a guided walk’s more your thing, our English Heritage accredited, highly recommended and extremely knowledgeable guide runs daily tours from Hull City Hall every day from 2pm from 1st April to 3rd November. Tickets are £4 per person, no need to book, just turn up!

TOP TIP: Looking for a good picnic spot? The lush central parkland of Queen’s Gardens is the obvious choice – you can’t miss it in between the BBC’s Hull HQ and the towering monument to William Wilberforce. The Peace Gardens in the Museums Quarter, the hidden garden behind Wilberforce House and the stepped seating of Stage @The Dock in the Fruit Market are also perfect for picnics.

DON’T MISS

Queens Gardens: A 9.75-acre former dock that until 1930 was filled with the water of Queens Dock. It’s now a series of gardens, and hosts touring and permanent public artworks, and large-scale events, from cultural extravaganzas to festivals such as Pride In Hull, Yum! Food Festival, children’s National Play Day and Freedom Festival.

Riverside views: To get an authentic feel for Hull’s maritime past, a stroll around the riverside and marina is a must. Follow the River Hull, past the tidal barrier to the The Deep aquarium where the River Hull meets the Humber Estuary, and walk along Victoria Pier, where passenger ferries used to cross the Humber before the Humber Bridge was built in 1981. Be sure to pause to take in the relaxing sights and sounds of Hull Marina – we get a great sunset

DID YOU KNOW? Wondering what the old Oss Wash near Victoria Pier is all about? Oss Wash is simply ’ull speak for Horse Wash, where the city’s traders used to scrub their horses clean. The name is now used by a gelateria and café on the pier.

The street art scene: Bankside Gallery is the name of a growing legal graffiti and street art movement that sprung up to celebrate Hull’s existing graffiti scene. Bankside Gallery was triggered by the overnight appearance of an authentic Banksy artwork on the disused Scott Street Bridge in early 2018. New pieces now appear every week, adding bursts of legal colour from the central Old Town, to Clough Road, north of the centre. Although the Banksy is temporarily out of public view due to safety issues with the bridge, the Bankside Gallery volunteers have put together a map of the legal walls, available from the Welcome Information Centre at Paragon Interchange.

Inspired? Book a short break now with some amazing rates on hotels, chic self catering apartments and boutique stays!

Rainy days out

RAINY DAYS OUT

We’re not saying it’s definitely going to rain all the way through the next school holidays and beyond. Just in case, however, here are some of the best activities to see soggy kids and their grown-ups through the great British autumn and winter.

ALL-WEATHER WONDERS TO SEE FAMILIES THROUGH TO SPRING

  • Explore museums, galleries and theatres: As mentioned above, Hull’s museums are havens of fabulous free entertainment all year round. Also check out the Treasure House and Beverley Art Gallery in Beverley, where there are interactive exhibits for young children alongside permanent and touring collections. A round-up of museums, galleries and theatres across Hull and East Yorkshire can be found here. Please note that one of Hull’s two floating museums, the Spurn Lightship, has been temporarily moved and is currently closed for renovation work. Fruit and Kingston Art Group (KAG) are no longer located in Humber Street, but the celebrated artists of Kingston Art Group are currently exhibiting their work at the University of Hull’s Brynmor Jones Library. Their exhibition, We Are Here, runs until Sunday 4 November.

Independent galleries including Humber Street Gallery, Artlink and the Museum of Club Culture in Hull, while Pocklington Arts Centre in Pocklington and The Ropewalk arts and exhibition space in Barton-on-Humber have some incredible exhibitions and regular activities that will appeal to all ages.

  • Rock’n’roll: Here’s a treat day out for children of all ages. John Bull World of Rock is open all year round, with extended opening times during school holidays. Find out how classic seaside rock is made on a self-guided factory tour (tickets: adults £4; over-fours £3, under-fours free), and stop off to roll you own stick of rock filled with a letter of your choice, or make your own chocolate lollipop (£1.50 pp, per activity). There’s also a soft-play area called Candy Kingdom that caters for children aged 0-12. Exit via the factory sweet shop for maximum sugar rush opportunities.
  • Make a splash: When the weather’s awful outside, burn off some energy at the pool. By the coast, Bridlington’s Leisure World has an interactive Splash Zone with two slides, and just outside Hull city centre, Woodford Leisure Centre fits the bill with a wave machine, beach-style pool, slide and more.
  • Prepare for battle: Hull Blast says it is Yorkshire’s first indoor interactive foam dart battle arena. And who are we to argue? Once inside, choose your battle: Apocalyptic Zone; or Space Zone. £10 pp, per hour of play. It’s bound to be a blast and is equally popular with children, students, and groups

 

 

  • Bounce, bounce, bounce: Trampoline parks are another indoor play activity that have really taken off and are suitable for all ages. Loads of fun and there are usually SEN and disability-friendly sessions, disco sessions, dodgeball and assault course sessions as well as standard open bounce sessions. If you’re planning to take young children, look out for the cheaper parent-and-toddler, or family activities. An additional, one-off cost for trampoline parks is that you also have to buy branded trampoline socks to be able to bounce. Try: Rebound on Stockholm Road, on the outskirts of Hull, or Gravity in St Stephen’s shopping centre in the heart of the city centre. Prices vary.
  • Don’t forget the old favourites: Soft play zones are probably not most parents’ favourite places to be, but there’s no disputing that younger children love them and they’re brilliant when the weather’s too bad to play in an outdoor park or playground. Hull and East Riding Mumbler’s excellent blog has a comprehensive list of venues all over East Yorkshire.
  • And finally… embrace the muddiness! From an outdoor mud kitchen, to mountains and molehills; sand slide to suspended platform; and amphitheatre to tyre swing, William’s Den is an award-winning outdoor play centre that encourages children to enjoy the great outdoors, rain, mud and all.

 

 

 

Wold Top Cookery School Highfield Farm

Top foodie courses in Hull & East Yorkshire

Love food? Course you do. How would you like to learn a few specialist culinary skills at a homely farmhouse kitchen table, get your bake on surrounded by the scent of freshly risen bread, master the art of the chocolatier, or go back to basics on an organic vegetable plot?

Hull and East Yorkshire’s food producers and providers are tapping into our increasing demands to know where our food comes from, how it’s grown and how it’s made. And there’s an impressive range of experts offering a mouth-watering range of truly memorable foodie experiences in our region, from classes that make an unusual gift idea to children’s parties and even hen and stag events.

East Yorkshire Local Food Network brings producers, makers, cafes and restaurateurs together to help spread the word about great East Yorkshire produce. Spokesperson for the network Julia Soukup says: “For generations, the wonderful and varied landscape of East Yorkshire and the surrounding area has produced some of the finest foods in England. This is still true today and it reflects the passion and skills of the people and businesses that produce it. Our members are small businesses driven by a passion to create superb food and drink to be enjoyed by others – whether that’s in the city, villages or historic market towns set in wonderful countryside, or along our stunning heritage coast.”

On the edge of the stunning Yorkshire Wolds, Side Oven Bakery at Carr House Farm, near Driffield, offers baking classes for all occasions – and all ages – using flour that’s been grown on the organic farm, milled on site and finished in the bakery.

If you take a Side Oven class, there’s a good chance you’ll get a bespoke tour of the flour mill while you’re waiting for your bread to rise, or spend a little time wildlife spotting on the riverside farm, which works closely with Yorkshire Wildlife Trust to preserve the natural environment. You’re your eyes peeled – herons, brown owls, otters, trout, egrets and cormorants have all been spotted here.

Jess Sellers, of Side Oven Bakery says: “We run classes, open days and nature trails all year round, it’s all very relaxed, friendly and fun … It’s all about getting members of the public to farms to see how it all works. We run breadmaking classes for all occasions – children’s make-your-own pizza parties, hen or stag dos, breadmaking for beginners and seasonal bakes. In December, our bakers can come and learn how to make stolen, croissants and sweet buns – we can also run this course in conjunction with another local business, Rosebud Flowers, so people can choose to bake stollen in the morning and make Christmas wreaths in the afternoon. In summer, we run a picnic breads course. At lunchtime we all eat together and, of course, our bakers get to take home a big basket full of breads home with them.

“Everything we do is rooted on our farm and rooted in our products, so we have seasonal open days for apples in October, a blackcurrant-picking day in July and an elderflower festival – what we’re trying to demonstrate is how to make best use of what’s out there.”

For more details of foodie experiences and cooking courses, check out the businesses in the East Yorkshire Local Food Network. In the meantime, here are a few more to tickle your tastebuds:

COOK, EAT, SLEEP, REPEAT

Yorkshire Wolds Cookery School has the largest range of cookery courses in the region and it’s the go-to place to learn everything from street food cookery to classic patisserie; Lebanese or Thai to a Yorkshire Born and Bred course. It’s also unusual in offering B&B accommodation – either as a package alongside cookery courses, or separately. Basically, pick a skill, learn it, eat it and, if you fancy, stay over in a beautiful setting that’s surrounded by beautiful private farmland. Yorkshire Wolds Cookery School has four resident chefs leading classes, and also brings in guest chefs such as James McKenzie from nearby Michelin-starred restaurant, or Great British Menu chef Stephanie Moon.

Yorkshire produce reigns here, with typical ingredients including Staal Smokehouse smoked salmon, dairy from St Quintin’s Creamery, Lowna Dairy for goat’s cheese, Pocklington butchers Burton’s and Skipsea-based fishmonger Frank Powell.

Business development manager for the school Alison Johnson says: “People come from far and wide, simply because they can stay over – we can take up to 18 people for a cook-and-dine experience. We also offer private dining, as well as children’s and family classes such as junior baking and young masterchef.”

 

CHOCOLATE HEAVEN

 

Cocoa Chocolatier in Humber Street at the heart of Hull’s attractive Fruit Market area offers the chance to learn the basics of chocolate making with this fun, informative, one-hour class. You’ll learn how to temper chocolate to get that perfect sheen, make your own ganache filling and, best of all, get to take your creations – a dozen filled chocolates, a chocolate bar, chocolate thins and a lollipop home with you. Caters for parties for chocoholics of all ages.

DEAR DAIRY…

Does milk get any fresher than this? Help yourself to a pinta from Cherry View Milk’s unusual milk vending machine and show the kids exactly where their milk comes from with a trip to this small, but busy, dairy farm. The Milk Shed in Cherry Burton is open from 7am to 7pm daily – just pop up the farm’s driveway and fill up your milk bottles. Becky Waring, of Cherry View Milk, says: “As we are a working dairy farm, customers get to experience the activities on the farm when they are here filling their milk bottles from the specialist milk vending machine. On a daily basis this can include watching calves being fed, seeing the cows queueing in the field to come in for milking time and this week customers even looked on as a cow gave birth to a baby calf in the field. Our youngest customers also love to see the tractors working around the farmyard.”

 

 

VISIT A VEG GROWER

If you’re prepared to get stuck in, Arthur’s Organics in Rise, near Hornsea, welcomes visitors to its walled garden every Monday and Wednesday. Find out where your food comes from by having a go at planting, harvesting, weeding or similar in exchange for fresh, organic veg. The organisers say: “It’s a tranquil, lovely space. We are Soil Association certified and we don’t use chemical pesticides – it’s all totally natural and healthy. As well as being a wonderful exchange of energy, the work is calming, friendly and fun.”

Similarly, Frith Farm in Molescroft, near Beverley, welcomes all-comers for seasonal volunteering opportunities on Wednesdays, between 10am and 1pm. Get in touch with the farm to check details before setting off.

 

View this post on Instagram

Squash it up! #squash #storage

A post shared by Frith Farm, Yorkshire (@frithfarming) on

My visit to The Deep

I am doing a three week placement in three different departments of the Hull City Council. Actually I am living in Earlsmere guesthouse with one other student who is also working in the Hull City Council. After almost two weeks in Hull, I can say that a placement abroad is a very good experience. I learned a lot about the life in England and Hull.

My first impressions were that Hull is a very interesting city with a lot of history. Hull got a lot of museums and sights. I would like to go into more details about an attraction called The Deep. I have visited it by myself and it is very impressive. The Deep is an award winning aquarium with over 3500 fish, sharks, stunning marine life and plenty of activities. You can have a nice travel trough the story of the world’s oceans.

They have fun and educational interactive audio-visual presentations. They also have daily highlights like dive shows, penguin feeds underwater tunnel and a lot more.

If you want to have a break, there are several possibilities to eat something or just to rest a little.  You can have a coffee and a small snack in a Costaway’s with a great view on the Humber. The Halfway café serves a variety of sandwiches and snacks. We also got some picnic areas, but we cannot guarantee table. If you would like to enjoy a two or three course meal with local products, we recommend the two Rivers Restaurant. You have an amazing atmosphere to sit under the aquarium.

The Deep is open from Monday to Sunday from 10 to 18 o’clock

Further information on the website: www.thedeep.co.uk

My conclusion from all is that Hull is a very watchable city and a placement abroad is only to be recommended!

Hull Trails to add interest to your daily walk

Looking to combine your daily exercise with seeing interesting sights in the city? Learn something along the way with one of our great city trails.

Hull is a city so packed with interesting history, quirky facts and funny tales around every corner that it can be tough deciding where to start. Just walking through the medieval streets you might spot a stray fish in the pavement or a statue peeking over a wall, how many historic pubs line the cobbled streets and what makes them so historic? In the train station you will find a statue of Phillip Larkin dashing for a train but where has he come from and what other statues are to be found around the city? The answer to all of these questions and more are in our Tours and Trails guide. You can download a copy here or pick of one from the museums and galleries or the information pod in the transport interchange and start your tour of the city today!

Download the Trail Guide here

There is more information on all of our tours and trails here 

 

 

Kain Marshall, David Harrison and Ollie Marshall at Bankside Gallery

The Bankside Gallery Story

The Bankside Gallery story reads almost like a film script.

It’s the tale of an international street art superstar, a city’s response to their work and an underground artistic subculture leaping out of the shadows to paint themselves a spotlight.

Galvanised to bring colour into forgotten corners of the city, the work of Hull’s graffiti artists is now transforming part of Hull’s industrial zone in a way that, to those in the know, it has done for decades. The difference now is, this time, it’s legal. And it’s accessible to members of the public.

An open-air legal art gallery has been created, one that is inspiring all ages and becoming a tourist attraction in its own right. Business owners have volunteered their walls to be filled with colour and artwork, artists have been rushing to showcase their work and feedback from members of the public has been overwhelmingly positive. Bankside Gallery street art quarter is growing by the week.

As a story, it’s got feelgood factor by the bucketload, a hopeful air of “if we paint it, they will come” and an over-riding sense of art being created for art’s sake. If a goal of UK City of Culture was to create an environment where independent culture thrives where you might least expect it, Bankside Gallery is well and truly doing it.

Let’s start at the beginning of this unlikely story and rewind to January 26, 2018.

Hull’s year in the spotlight as UK City of Culture 2017 has come to a close and infamous international street artist Banksy has visited the city in the middle of the night.

The city awakes to find a work of art has appeared on an almost-forgotten permanently raised bridge, the mysterious Banksy claims the piece on his Instagram feed – thereby making it “official” and that – and Scott Street bridge is instantly transformed into Hull’s unlikeliest tourist attraction.

But here’s the twist. No sooner have the good people of Hull got excited about their shiny new Banksy gift, than it is daubed with white paint, and widespread public outrage is sparked. A Hull window cleaner and friend go out in the middle of the night to try to salvage Banksy’s work and are hailed as heroes. Banksy’s – now slightly less than pristine – artwork is saved and quickly covered in Perspex before anything else happens to it.

It left many in Hull’s largely underground graffiti community a little non-plussed. After all, unless you’re Banksy, your illegal artwork is not always welcome.

An idea began to grow. Friends and business colleagues Ollie Marshall and Kain Marshall run an aerosol art company, Spray Creative.

Ollie says: “Basically, me and Kain are part of Spray Creative and we’re also graffiti artists in Hull, so when Banksy came and painted it turned Hull upside down. Suddenly, everyone wanted to know more about the graffiti scene and we became the go-to guys to ask these questions. All of a sudden, everyone became graffiti mad in Hull so we thought, well, let’s see. Nobody could deny the level of interest, the footfall, the hype and the media interest.

“News crews got in touch, David Harrison – a BBC journalist in Hull – did a radio interview with us about whether the Banksy piece was changing attitudes in the city. Me and Kain [of Spray Creative] realised that to keep people in the area around the Banksy piece, there needed to be more there. It was a forgotten industrial area, we needed to give some walls back to Hull’s graffiti scene.

“2017 in Hull was all about drumming up interest and getting everyone on board, now we’ve found ourselves delivering a legacy project, almost by chance. In a way, Bankside Gallery is something that we can give back to the UK City of Culture.”

Ollie, Kain and journalist David joined forces and Bankside Gallery was born.

David says: “I’ve always loved graffiti, street art and everything in between. After the Banksy appeared and I saw the public reaction, it was obvious that there was so much talent out there that many people were completely oblivious to. Ollie and Kain were thinking the same thing: Obviously, having a Banksy on an industrial estate is great, but if no art sprung up around it, it wouldn’t become a tourist attraction and people wouldn’t spend money at local businesses.”

What surprised all three of the founders of Bankside Gallery was how quickly they managed to make it happen.

David adds: “Alan Clarke, who was a councillor at the time, helped make it happen for us. It blew us away how quickly people from the art scene mobilised. We wanted to give local artists a platform to be seen, in a way that would hopefully regenerate an area through street art and graffiti. For example, if you go to parts of Berlin or Budapest, often street art comes first and regeneration comes second – we don’t want gentrification, but maybe a nightclub here, or a coffee shop there would be good. So many visitors are coming to see the artwork, we hope it helps local business, such as The Whalebone pub.”

And the tourists really are coming. Teachers have been organising school trips, coaches have been spotted parked up on the main gallery street, next to The Whalebone pub. OAPs and children have been photographed learning how to make art with spraycans. A project is in the pipeline with Ollie’s old school Hedon Primary. Walking tours around the area have been organised. You get a sense that this is just the beginning.

Hull’s graffiti artists, many of whom have been quietly contributing to the city’s subculture for years, are turning out in all weathers, to provide fresh paint and fresh colour. They’ve been joined by traditional artists, paste-up artists, stencillers, in fact, anyone who wants to have a go at making art in public.

David says: “It’s a collective effort: Hull City Council gave us the thumbs up to do it; the artists are all doing it for free, Crown Paint is donating emulsion for the backgrounds of the pieces for free, we’re doing it for free.”

Ollie agrees: “It’s unreal. We’ve had the most welcome feeling from Hull in general. We’ve had support from the art scene, members of the public and the businesses who’ve donated their walls. When we’re out painting, we get thumbs up from people going past,  people bring us water, we get claps… when one of Hull’s most respected graffiti artists was back in the city for a few days, he was asking, ‘what have you done to Hull?!’.

“From my point of view as a graffiti artist, the Bankside area is the graffiti mecca of Hull. Crews I grew up admiring painted on the [long-gone] derelict warehouses, John Peel even visited once and was made an honorary member of the crew. As a young lad, I used to get on a bus and go to the warehouses. It’s amazing now to be painting around there, with so many legal walls that you’re spoilt for choice.

“It’s a little hub of positive energy. You get this interaction of different worlds. People love the fact that there’s now colour now in a grey area and the artists love the fact that everyone loves it. We’ve done this for a long time in the shadows, it’s nice to get a good reaction.”

Bankside Gallery: The Movie hasn’t actually been made yet. No one would be allowed to know who plays Banksy, for one thing. Although all British actors with Bristolian accents and everyone who’s ever been in Massive Attack would be listed on the IMDB credits. Just in case. But if they keep painting it, will film crews come? Who knows? National TV crews have already been.

Bankside Gallery has produced a map of the graffiti, street art and paste-up walls in the Bankside area. You can also follow Bankside Gallery on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.

NOTE: Banksy’s Draw the Raised Bridge work is soon to be moved for safety reasons until a new home can be prepared for it. Check Hull City Council’s Twitter feed for the latest details.

Hull Minster Tower Tour

View from: The top of Hull Minster

On a clear day, you can stand at the top of Hull Minster tower and see all the way to North Lincolnshire on the south bank of the River Humber. Turn north-eastward, and you could see Spurn Point on the East Yorkshire coast; look north and you might be able to spot Beverley Minster.

If you’ve got a head for heights, and you’re not fazed by the prospect of climbing a couple of hundred steep, medieval steps, you’re in for a treat.

Guided Tower Tours run fortnightly at Hull Minster, at 5pm, 6pm, 7pm and 8pm. The next available dates are July 19, August 9, August 23, September 6, September 20 and October 11. Tours can be arranged at other times of year by appointment.

If you check sunset times when you visit, you might even be able to time your tour to coincide with a sunset over Hull’s Old Town, or an atmospheric twilight view of the marina and rivers.

James Symonds, events coordinator at Hull Minster, says the Tower Tours provide an unrivalled perspective on Hull. “It’s the tallest public-access building in the city,” he says.

With the viewing platform at 150ft above the ground, you get a unique perspective from the 13th-century minster.

Each Tower Tour begins with a warm welcome, a talk about the minster’s history and a health and safety briefing. The halfway mark of the climb takes you past Hull Minster’s clock mechanism, bells and carillion bells.

Sounding every 15 minutes, be sure to stop, listen and see if you can work out what tune the bells are playing.

Steve says: “We control the carillion bells via a keyboard. The music reacts to the news, for example, when Carrie Fisher died, we played the Star Wars theme tune in memory of her. We’ve played the Harry Potter music in the past, and we’re currently playing Mozart’s Canon in D Major. It always gets people talking.”

If you’re lucky, you may even see – and hear – them in action.

After the halfway point, another 100-plus steps take you up to the rooftop viewing platform at the very top of Hull Minster, where you can soak up those breathtaking views. Enjoy.

  • Tickets cost £4/£5 for the tour only; £7/£8 for the tour, plus drinks and cake in the minster’s café.
  • Please note that children must be aged 10 or over to take a Tower Tour, and under-17s must be accompanied by an adult.

 

 

Lucy Brinkmeier

My time and my highlights in Hull

So what am I doing here in Hull? I am here for a work placement in the Hull City Council. During the 3 weeks in England I live in a host family with three more students who are also working for the Hull City Council. In this time I got many impressions about the work and the different sectors. The first week I have been in the city economy after in the planning and now in the major projects. It is a really good possibility to see the daily life of the Britain’s which is quite different to that from German’s.

 

During my time here I have learnt a lot about Hull and its’ culture. It is a really interesting und impressive city with a lot of history. There are so many things to see! For example the Queen Victoria Square which is in the heart of Hull. Around it you can find the Ferens Art Gallery which has a collection of paintings and sculptures and also masterpieces by Lorenzetti, Frans Hals and many more. There is also the Maritime Museum which includes maritime arts and ships models as well as paintings and artefacts. Moreover there is the Museums Quarter which consists of four different museums: The Streetlife Museum in which you can step back in time and see 200 years of transport history, The Wilberforce house which is the birthplace of William Wilberforce, the Arctic Corsair a deep-sea trawler that was converted to a museum ship and the Hull and East Riding Museum with an Iron Age village, a Roman bathhouse and mosaics, Viking treasures and wooden warriors. There are also many alleys and little streets which are perfect for taking photos or just walking through.

 

One day I have been in The Deep which is a huge aquarium with a wide variety of fishes. I have even seen sharks, sawfishes and jellyfishes. It was really interesting because I have never been in such a big aquarium.

 

But it is not only the culture and the buildings which are interesting but also the people! They are so friendly and courteous and everybody knows so much about Hull and its’ history.

 

To finish I can say that Hull is a really interesting and beautiful city which you should have visited.