Kingston upon Hull Things to Do

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Every July Hull hosts a Sea Shanty Festival. This is a free event held on the east side of the Marina and features acts associated with the sea. The music is best described as folk music but there are also some fisherman's choirs and in 2005 there was a choir from Holland made up of ladies in traditional costume called Haar op de dijk who I enjoyed immensely.
The event is organised by Shanty Jack ( the man on the right on the photograph) and there are also stalls selling various things associated with the sea and events and exhibitions too.

Swept up in the tide (ahem) of redevelopment in the city the marina is enjoying something of a renaissance itself. Stylish new flats are being built along the waterfront, the unmistakable glimmering wedge of the multi-million pound attraction ‘The Deep’ sits adjacent, whilst trendy new restaurants and bars have begun to spring up in the area. Finally, the city is reclaiming the water – to which its fate has always been inexorably linked. This will never be the Monaco of the north, but who’d ever want it to be? Neglected in recent decades, it’s becoming an intriguing quarter of the city once more without losing a sense of its hard-working past. It still remains breezy and bracing in any other season but winter, but wrap-up and enjoy the views.

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The monument was designed by Mr W H Clark of Leeds in 1834 as a memorial and celebration to William Wilberforce's life. The Doric column is 90 feet high and the statue of Wilberforce is 12 feet tall on top.

It was originally placed at the end of Whitefriargate but following the closure of the Queen's Dock and also to accomodate the increased volume of traffic it was moved to Queens Gardens's eastern end in 1935.

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Hull's last sidewinder trawler that was used for the life at sea including fishing. Free guided tours by crews are available on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays and they last approximately 1.5 hours.

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This museum is part of the Hull's Museums Quarter in the old town of the city. The musuem celebrates 200 years of transportation in the city with visual, audio and sensory aids accompany the exhibits. You can climb aboard the replica trolley bus, a train carriage and have a simulated ride in a carriage. There is a 1940's high street with street lamps where you can wander down and look in the shops.

The museum is free of charge.

From medieval times until the nineteenth century, High Street was the home of some of the most important merchant, ship-building and seafaring trade families in Hull.
The Blaydes were one of these families. They were engaged in shipbuilding and built the house as their family home and business headquarters in the 1730's.
During their time of prosperity in Hull, the family provided the city with five chamberlains, five Sheriffs and three mayors. James Blaydes, the grandson of the first mentioned Blaydes in Hull, married Ann Marvell, sister of the poet Andrew Marvell in the 17th century.
The matter of when the High Street residence passed out of the family ownership is not clear, but is seems feasible that they resided there into the 19th century.
Today it is belongs to the University of Hulls Maritime Historical Studies Centre and is only open on special open days.

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One of my favourite places to visit in Hull but only generally open the second weekend in September each year at the Open Houses event.
The Charterhouse was founded by Sir Michael de la Pole in 1384 as an Alms House for the elderly and was also the childhood home of the poet Andrew Marvell. The present buildings date from 1660 and 1780 and the chapel in particular contains fine plasterwork.
It is still a home for the elderly in self contained flats and church attendance is compulsory every Wednesday and Sunday in the beautiful chapel within the complex. There is a resident master - a vicar or pastor who overseas this beautiful complex with his staff.
The gardens are a delight and contain Hulls oldest tree which is said to be over 350 years old. A tranquil spot in a semi industrial area just on the edge of the city centre.

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This is the birthplace of William Wilberforce, the lead campaigner for the abolition of the slave trade during the late 18th Century and early 19th Century. The museum opened in 1906 There are impressive exhibits exploring slavery; Britain's involvement in the slave trade including the Brookes slave ship model and poster; leading to the abolition including anti-slavery memorablia; and slavery in general from then to today. There is a West African exhibition representing the cultural diversity of the region prior to the slave trade. You can also learn more about Wilberforce and his life by seeing his personal objects such as his bible, his letters and journals and stuff relating to other interests such as being the founder of the RSPCA (an animal charity in the UK).