Tour Guide Paul Schofield

Hull’s Old Town: Top 10 hidden gems

Cameras at the ready. Some of our city’s best-loved and most beautiful sights can be found in Hull’s Old Town. With stunning architecture, medieval streets and charm by the bucketload, there’s no wonder it features heavily in the daily walking tours run by award-winning tour guide Paul Schofield. But you might be surprised to discover which sights have the biggest wow factor – for tourists and residents alike. Here, Paul reveals his favourite sights and some of the city’s most delightful hidden gems, from the place where Charles I was turned away from the city – famously sparking the English Civil War – to the street from which an entire city sprung from.

  1. Beverley Gate: “Visitors are always taken aback when they see the ruins of the gate and we say that we started the English Civil War here! King Charles I wasn’t allowed into the city in 1642, a gesture of defiance that triggered the war.”
  2. England’s smallest window, Land Of Green Ginger: “This is one of the things that always sticks in people’s minds after they’ve take a tour. And of course, it’s in a street mysteriously called Land Of Green Ginger, which everyone loves.”
    © Christopher Pepper
    Smallest Window © Christopher Pepper
  3. Hepworth’s Arcade: “One of my favourite buildings in Hull. It was built in the 1890s and was named after Hepworth the tailor. It was also home to one of the earliest Marks and Spencer penny bazaars. It’s a rare L-shaped arcade with a lovely glass roof. I see it as a very ‘Hull’ arcade – it’s full of independent Hull businesses such as Beasley’s clothing store and Dinsdale’s joke shop, as endorsed by Reece Shearsmith and Derren Brown.”

  1.  High Street and the River Hull: “The oldest street in Hull, High Street dates to the 1100s. Without High Street, with the staithes and access streets running down to the River Hull, the city wouldn’t exist.”
  2. Scale Lane swing bridge: “My favourite bridge and one of my favourite things. At weekends, you can ride on it and listen to the sounds playing as it moves you across the River Hull. It’s the first footbridge in the world that allows people to do this. Check the Hull City Council website for times.”
  3. Truelove sculptures, River Hull, by the tidal barrier: “Whether they’ve lived in Hull all their lives, or are new to the city, people are always surprised to see the sculptures of the Truelove heads in the River Hull – they miss the plaque that’s on the railings.”

The plaque reads: “In 1847 Memiadluk and Uckaluk arrived in Hull close to this site aboard the Truelove, a local whaling ship. The following year the married couple set sail for their home in Cumberland Sound, Baffin Island. During this journey Uckaluk died following an outbreak of measles on board the ship.”

  1. Stage @The Dock: “A dry dock originally, it takes a lot of vision to turn a dry dock into a stage that has hosted everything from the BBC Proms, to rap and hip-hop artists, and festivals like Humber Street Sesh and Freedom Festival. I like the fact that it’s so accessible. It’s a public space even when it’s not in use as a venue.”
    Stage @ The Dock – Chris Pepper
  2. Victoria (Corporation) Pier and Oss Wash, Nelson Street: “Before the Humber Bridge was built, this is where people would catch the ferry to cross the River. It had a British Rail booking office and was one of the few train stations in the country where no trains ran. The nearby slope next to the De La Pole statue was known as the Oss Wash [horse wash].”
  3. Town walls, marina: “Look on the ground around the marina. The original town walls are marked out in red, so you can walk along them. It’s surprising to discover that the River Humber once came right up to Hessle Gate and along what is now Humber Street.”
  4. Prince Street and Trinity Square mirror pools: “You get a great view when you look down Prince Street towards Hull Minster in Trinity Square. Prince Street is unusual in that it’s a Georgian street with a curve – they tend to be either very straight or crescent-shaped. In Trinity Square are my other favourite things, the mirror pools.”
Hull Minster C Mike Bartlett
Hull Minster – Mike Bartlett

 

Paul Schofield is an independent, English Heritage-accredited tour guide. His walking tours of Hull city centre take place daily until the end of October, leaving from Hull City Hall in Queen Victoria Square at 2pm. Group bookings can be arranged all year round.

Five minutes with… Laura Waller

Laura Waller is head chef at one of Hull’s most consistently high-ranking restaurants. Formerly 1884 Dock Street Kitchen, its take on modern British grub is rated by food critics, visitors and locals alike, with fans including national restaurant critic Matthew Norman. It has a prime spot on Hull’s marina and is now shifting focus to become 1884 Wine Bar And Grill, with Laura at the helm.

Q: Where did you earn your chef whites?

A: 2018 is my 17th year as a chef. I trained at Hull College, and worked as a commis chef at The Beverley Arms and later Cerutti 2, where I went from commis to running the kitchen. I then relocated to Worcestershire to work in a fine dining two-rosette restaurant, The Glasshouse, before running the kitchen at a country village pub called the Hanley Swan. I wanted to get experience of corporate dining, so I went to Warwick Castle, where I ran the kitchen doing weddings and functions.

Q: What made you come back to Hull?

A: Warwick Castle was a great experience, but I was missing home. When 1884 opened, I moved back to Hull with the aim of working at the restaurant, as I’d heard so many good things about it. Within a couple of months, I got a job here as a sous chef and was asked to be head chef in 2015.

Q: Tell us about your style of cooking.

A: We do typical British food. Everything’s always fresh, tasty and seasonal. We like to take the raw flavours and make them slightly better, and I like to incorporate a bit of hearty home-cooking style.

Q: You run the kitchen at one of the most recommended restaurants in Hull, what’s the secret?

A: The secret is the team. We have a really good team – a little family – and I hardly have any staff turnover. The passion that everybody has for their food is what makes it.

Q: The team has received a fair few accolades over the years, what are you most proud of?

A: We’re very proud of winning the REYTA Remarkable Restaurant of the Year 2018. I get very nervous about awards and I don’t like to lose … I burst into tears when they said our names because that’s how proud I was of our team. It makes everything worthwhile.

 

 

Q: Why are there still so few women head chefs?

A: People will still come into the restaurant and expect a man to be head chef. When that happens, I appreciate the fact that my staff always gently point out to customers that their head chef is woman. There are some really great female head chefs and sous chefs out there, but it is still an achievement to be a female head chef. It’s something for me to be proud of.

Q: What’s new at 1884?

A: We’ve now changed our concept to become 1884 Wine Bar And Grill. We’re still very much about fine dining and a la carte menus, but we now also have a bar menu. We do a very good steak – probably the best in the area – and it’s by far our most popular dish. We’ve got different breeds and cuts of steak, plus seasonal cuts, all reared in Yorkshire by our award-winning suppliers, Taste Tradition. We’re also planning to get a dry-aging locker so we can age our own steaks in-house.

Q: Exciting times. Anything else in the pipeline?

A: In addition to our sister restaurant 1884 Wine And Tapas on the opposite side of the marina, we’re planning to open a restaurant in Hessle, which will be 1884 Italian. There will also be an 1884 presence at the new Barrow Boys cocktail bar on Humber Street, near our flagship restaurants, plus more on the horizon.

 

Trinity Market - Shoot The Bull

A foodie’s guide to Trinity Market

After quite the regeneration, Trinity Market is back open for business, having re-emerged as a foodie haven with a host of street food goodness to tickle your taste buds.

Situated in the peaceful surroundings of Trinity Square, the market is perfectly placed for picking up lunch on the go and enjoying the impressive sights of Hull Minster and its ambient mirror pools. On damper days, watch the world go by in the market’s indoor seating area, surrounded by the aromas of fresh food.

If all of this has got you feeling peckish, read on to find out what you could be tucking into at Trinity Market.

Trinity Market - Falafia. Photo: James Mulkeen

FALAFIA

Perfect for veggies and the health-conscious, Falafia serves up fresh falafel and an array of other delicious street food specials, from lentil dahls to soups and salads.

Choose from regular or chilli and garlic falafel, then pick your wrap from a selection including beetroot, spinach and Mediterranean herb before layering up with a choice of two salads and a whole range of sauces. If that’s not enough, you can always add in some halloumi or guacamole for even more flavour.

A standard wrap will set you back around £3.50, which is an absolute steal for the level of quality and flavour. We’re pretty sure you’ll agree.

Trinity Market - Cone Queen. Photo: James Mulkeen

CONE QUEEN

Satisfy those lunch time cravings with a hunk of delicious pizza courtesy of Hull’s Cone Queen.

Priced under £4, choose from the Queen Supreme (chicken garlic and mushroom), Queso de Cabra (goats cheese, red pepper and red onion), Triple C (chorizo and chicken) and the Cretian (feta cheese and red onion), and prepare to be blown away.

These tasty cones are convenient to carry if you’re on the go, but if you have a little more time, take a seat and treat yourself to a side order of fries – we recommend sweet potato.

Trinity Market - Shoot The Bull. Photo: James Mulkeen

SHOOT THE BULL

A firm fixture on Hull’s festival scene, Shoot The Bull has taken up permanent residence in Trinity Market with its award-winning, gourmet street food.

So what’s on offer? Take your pick from: flat iron steak sandwiches; fried chicken wings; beef burgers; slow cooked pork belly; poutine; tiger prawn and halloumi flatbreads and a range of breakfast muffins.

With the average meal costing between £5 and £7, Shoot The Bull is a little pricier than most, but we guarantee it’s worth every penny.

Trinity Market - Trinity Delicatessen. Photo: James Mulkeen

TRINITY DELICATESSEN

Sometimes a good sandwich is exactly what you need at lunch time, which is where Trinity Delicatessen comes in, serving home comforts from tuna mayo to chicken and bacon, ham salad and more.

If you’re after a light bite, pick up a delicious slice of quiche or a traditional sausage roll for a bargain price. And if you fancy something hot, go for a steaming jacket potato with your choice of fillings from the counter.

Offering service with a smile and sarnies that don’t break the bank (£2-£3), you can’t go wrong.

Trinity Market - Alessandro's. Photo: James Mulkeen

ALESSANDRO’S

Bringing Italian home cooking to the streets of Hull, Alessandro’s is your one stop shop for yummy pasta, pizza, calzone, focaccia and arancini – all for under £4.

Having recently expanded into sweet treats, you can now head to Alessandro’s to get your sugar fix and sample authentic cannoli, tiramisu, croccante and crostata. Form an orderly queue, please!

Trinity Market - Janey's Food Shack. Photo: James Mulkeen

JANEY’S FOOD SHACK

With plenty of loyal customers, gorgeous food and super affordable prices, you’d be a fool not to give Janey’s Food Shack a try.

For just £2.50, you can get your hands on fresh ham salad encased in a tasty tasca bread, or if you’re feeling a little more adventurous, try one of Janey’s Bombay sausage rolls or goats cheese and roasted veg lattices.

Offering great service on top, Janey’s Food Shack provides the perfect pick me up to get you through the longest of days.

Trinity Market - Caffeinated. Photo: James Mulkeen

CAFFEINATED

Once you’ve filled your boots with delicious food, pop to Caffeinated for a coffee that’s sure to pull you right out of your food daze and fix you up for the afternoon.

Coffee comes directly from local roaster The Blending Room, and a good cup shouldn’t set you back much more than a couple of pounds.

While you’re there, try to resist the temptation to buy one of the lovely homemade flapjacks, biscuits and cakes on display…or give in to temptation like we do and treat yourself!

Trinity Market is located on Trinity House Lane, Hull Old Town and is open Monday to Saturday.

Pride in Hull 2017

Hull 2017 in Pictures: Freedom

July

Kicking things off in a riot of colour was Paper City, a ten-day spectacle celebrating the freedom to play. For Paper City we invited leading artists to experiment with texture, colour and structure, using specialist paper from Hull company G . F Smith.

Paper City launch. Photo: © James Mulkeen

From Lazerian’s four-metre-long anatomical model of a fish, to Made Thought’s suspended paper tapestry, Paper City transformed Hull’s Fruit Market into a rainbow-hued feast for the eyes.

And if you’ve ever wondered what the world’s favourite colour is – we have the answer. It’s Marrs Green, and we happen to think it’s pretty great.

States of Play. Photo: © Tom Arran

Our exploration into playtime didn’t end there, and in July the Crafts Council took over Humber Street Gallery with the fun-filled States Of Play, using wobbly chairs, interactive mood lighting and a charming robot dubbed Combover Jo to remind us all that play isn’t just for kids.

Larkin's books. Photo: © Tom Arran

Throughout the Freedom season, we celebrated the work of renowned poet Phillip Larkin at Larkin: New Eyes Each Year, an intimate insight into the mind of Hull’s favourite literary son. Housed on campus at the University of Hull, where Larkin worked for many years, the exhibition featured personal letters, clothing, film footage and books from Larkin’s personal collection.

For the music fans, PRS Foundation’s New Music Biennial brought some of the UK’s leading composers to venues across the city to perform bite-sized, new compositions and discuss their work.

GoGo Penguin at PRSF New Music Biennial. Photo: © Tom Arran

Highlights included a new commission from Mica Levi with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and a world-class performance by GoGo Penguin, plus a stunning supergroup performance from composers Errolyn Wallen, Eliza Carthy, Sam Lee, Jason Singh and Brian Irvine, who worked with communities in Hull as part of the PRSF Composer Residencies project.

Another project which brought diverse communities together was Protein Dance’s (In)Visible Dancing. Following a series of workshops, more than 100 local amateur dancers, dance groups and professional dancers came together in a jaw-dropping flashmob that brought Jameson Street to life and sent good vibes reverberating across the city.

Electric Fence. Photo: © Patrick Mateer

Tackling a sensitive issue was Annabel McCourt’s The Electric Fence, a visceral installation of barbed wire, electricity and ominous space created as a response to LGBT hate crime that provided a stark reminder of how easily freedom can be taken away.

Pride in Hull 2017. Photo: © Tom Arran

And who could forget LGBT 50? We celebrated the 50th anniversary of sexual freedom with a week-long programme of events, including: a Pride In Hull parade to remember; The House Of Kings And Queens, a powerful photography exhibition showcasing Sierra Leone’s hidden LGBT+ community; a tea and cake-fuelled outdoor performance extravaganza in the form of A Duckie Summer Tea Party and I Feel Love, a BBC Radio 2 concert featuring Marc Almond and Alison Moyet.

August

August got off to a flying start with the return of Hull’s biggest grassroots music festival, Humber Street Sesh, attracting 30,000 people to the Fruit Market to witness more than 200 acts including LIFE, Fronteers, Fire (The Unstoppable Force), Vulgarians and Bud Sugar.

Humber Street Sesh 2017. Photo: © Tom Arran

Hull Truck Youth Theatre brought their modern take on Charles Dickens’ Our Mutual Friend to the stage, re-imagined on the banks of the Humber. Adapted by award-winning writer Bryony Lavery, this feisty production tackled themes of homelessness, cruelty and friendship and shone a spotlight on young actors in Hull.

Throwing an element of mystery into the mix was Act II of the epic Land Of Green Ginger project – The Gold Nose Of Green Ginger – in Bransholme’s North Point Shopping Centre. As rumours spread that the strange nose was a source of good luck, plenty of people stopped by to make a wish.

September

Celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2017 was Freedom Festival, encouraging us to act upon global issues whilst serving up a big old dose of fun and playfulness.

Whether you marvelled at Compagnie Off’s Les Giraffes as they stampeded through the city, or listened to former Secretary-General of the UN, Mr. Kofi Annan, delivering the inspirational Wilberforce Lecture, there was certainly food for thought.

Freedom Festival 2017. Photo: © Tom Arran

This international theme continued with dreamthinkspeak’s One Day, Maybe – a mind-blowing interactive experience centred around the UK headquarters of a fictional Korean technology company.

As visitors were invited to try out the latest advancements in virtual reality and beacon technology, they found themselves slipping between past, present and future, experiencing the chaos of the 1980 Democratic Uprising in Gwangju before resurfacing in a bizarre, futuristic world.

One Day Maybe. Photo © Tom Arran

Speaking of all things shiny and new, Hull New Theatre threw open its doors after a lengthy refurbishment this September with an exhilarating evening of dance, courtesy of The Royal Ballet.

Opening The New saw world-famous ballet dancers join forces with renowned Hull exports Xander Parish (Mariinsky Ballet), Demelza Parish (Royal Ballet), Elizabeth Harrod (Royal Ballet) and Joseph Caley (English National Ballet) in a show that extended the walls of the theatre to a live relay before an audience of 5,000 people in Queen’s Gardens. And there was even a surprise visit for those watching the show in Queens Gardens, as the cast hopped onto a vintage bus to say hello and take a bow in front of the crowds.

Royal Ballet Screening in Queens Gardens, Hull. Photo: © Tom Arran

Rounding off this spectacular season was Contains Strong Language, a new national festival of poetry and spoken word launched here in Hull by the BBC. Over four days, we witnessed work from the likes of Dr John Cooper Clarke, Imtiaz Dharker, Kate Tempest and Isaiah Hull, bringing together a hugely talented and diverse mix of wordsmiths in a packed programme of literary goodness, presented alongside Hull favourite Humberside Literature Festival.

Hull Gada - pop-up poetry at Humber Mouth Literature Festival / Contains Strong Language. Photo: © Chris Pepper

If all of this has got you wanting more, then don’t worry – it’s not over yet. Head to our What’s On page to discover what lies ahead in 2018.