If you’re driving into Hull and East Riding from the south, there’s one attraction that’s pretty much impossible to avoid: the Humber Bridge. Stretching 2,220 metres between Barton-on-Humber in North Lincolnshire and Hessle in East Riding, the bridge was the longest in the world when it first opened. Take some time to explore this incredible feat of engineering during your trip to Hull.
If you’re not too sure where to start once you arrive in Hull itself, a walking tour is a brilliant way to get to know the city. Paul Schofield leads guided walks in Hull (and Beverley too) that show off all the area has to offer. Try exploring the Old Town, sample the city’s best pubs, or follow Hull’s literary history.
Once you know your way around, there are dozens of visitor attractions to keep you busy. One for the kids (and big kids too) The Deep is one of the most spectacular aquariums in the world, home to thousands of fish and a colony of Gentoo penguins. Continuing the marine theme, Hull also celebrates its maritime history with two floating visitor attractions that are both well worth a visit. The Arctic Corsair is a former deep sea trawler ship, now a museum dedicated to the history of deep sea fishing. The Spurn Lightship (permanently moored in Hull Marina) spent nearly 50 years guiding ships safely through the Humber estuary with its great light, and now houses its own museum too.
Hull is a big sporting city, with regular fixtures at the KCOM Stadium. Football team Hull City (aka The Tigers) play their home matches at the stadium, which they share with rugby league side Hull F.C. The city is proudly home to two top-tier rugby league sides, with F.C.’s rivals Hull Kingston Rovers playing their matches at the KCOM Craven Park.
For something a little bit more sedate, Hull Minster is a beautiful a place of worship but also also a place of exploration and enjoyment which hosts events and concerts all year round. The incredible Beverley Minster is a gothic masterpiece in nearby Beverley, with a history that stretches all the way back to the 8th century.
Fort Paull, the only remaining Napoleonic Fortress in Yorkshire, is home to the colossal Blackburn Beverley Aircraft and offers views across the Humber estuary. If military history isn’t your thing, the Skidby Windmill near Cottingham is the last working mill in Yorkshire, part of the Museum of East Riding Rural Life, and Burton Constable Hall is packed with interesting local curiosities.
For wildlife lovers the great chalk cliffs at RSPB Bempton Cliffs offer the chance to see hundreds of seabirds, with nature trails for younger visitors and bracing cliff-top walks for the more adventurous.
Why not try…
Rockcity, the home of climbing, skateboarding and BMX in Hull since 1994. With a large indoor complex of climbing walls and a skatepark, Rockcity also has a coffee shop for those who’d prefer to watch.
