Kingston upon Hull, known simply as Hull, is a maritime city on the Humber Estuary. When planning a stay, it can help to start by choosing a theme: Hull combines historic buildings and museums with art, walking trails and an aquarium. If you’re looking for hotels in Hull, you can first decide which of these perspectives you’d like to shape your stay; the city’s history can be explored in different ways.
City history at specific places
Wilberforce House was built around 1660 and is one of the oldest buildings in Hull. William Wilberforce was born in this house in 1759. Its construction and his life story come together at this specific place, giving the city’s history a personal connection.
Hull Minster is also part of the city’s history under two names: the church was known as Holy Trinity Church until 2017. The former name therefore refers to the same church now known as Hull Minster. Trinity Market adds another perspective on the city’s history: it opened in 1904 as Hull’s second market hall.
Different timescales in the museums
Transport history takes centre stage at the Streetlife Museum. The museum covers 200 years of transport history and includes a recreated 1940s high street and a historic tram. The exhibition thus combines a broad overview across time with specific examples from transport history.
The Hull and East Riding Museum of Archaeology takes a much longer view: it presents 235 million years of history. Exhibits include mammoths, Roman mosaics, an Iron Age village and a Roman bathhouse. Unlike the Streetlife Museum’s focus on transport, this museum centres on archaeological periods and a wide range of evidence of past ways of life.
Art and maritime perspectives
The Ferens Art Gallery displays art ranging from late medieval paintings to modern art. Through paintings of seafaring, its maritime collection explores the connection between the local community and the wider world across the water. The gallery thus brings together a broad span of art history and a particular focus on maritime subjects.
The aquarium The Deep is in Hull, overlooking the Humber Estuary. The Deep is also a non-profit educational and conservation organisation. This makes it different from the history collections and art gallery: its focus is an aquarium, as well as education and conservation.
Walks through Hull
Hull has several scenic and urban walking routes throughout the city. One specific theme is the Hull Heritage Walk, which leads through the cobbled streets and narrow lanes of the Old Town and draws attention to England’s smallest window and Hull Minster. The Hull Heritage Walk is an audio and written guide in nine stages. This structure gives the exploration a historical focus for anyone who would also like to learn about the city’s history while walking.
A practical tip for visiting the museum
Admission to the Hull Maritime Museum is free, and walk-in visits are possible daily. Booking in advance is recommended to avoid waiting, especially during peak times. This is useful to bear in mind when planning a visit, while the other places mentioned each explore their own cultural and historical, artistic or maritime themes.
Discover more destinations: Withernwick, Barmby Moor, Bubwith, Withernsea, Beverley, Ulrome, Barmston, Skipsea.
See the broader travel overview: East Riding Of Yorkshire.
