Kingston upon Hull

princes quay and whitefriargate

Whitefriargate is the thoroughfare that links the old and new towns, and has traditionally been the main shopping high street for centuries. After decline caused by the emergence of new shopping centres, a new future is planned for the street, with the hope of it attracting cafes, bars and galleries.

Princes Quay

is a shopping centre built on stilts over the quay, Home to a large Vue Cinema - which was at the the time of opening - the first fully digital cinema in Europe. The futuristic glass shards of the centre have dated surprisingly well, and the walk up the long, light and airy entrance from Queen Victoria square and over the water is as exhilarating an experience you could ask for from a city centre shopping trip.

At the Queen Victoria Square end of Whitefriargate an excavated hole containing a small amphitheater and brick wall signals the medieval Beverley Gate. This belonged to the original city walls, and is where King Charles I was refused entry to Hull in the 17th Century - the first military act of the English Civil War.

The smallest window in England

This is outside the George Inn on a street called The Land of Green Ginger so called because of the medieval spice market that operated here.

Parliament Street

leads off of Whitefriargate about halfway down. This is the home of many professional practices in the city centre, and this is reflected in it's fine Georgian architecture. It was built to give access to the town dock now Queens Gardens.

queen victoria square

The centre of Hull, from which all of the wide shopping streets of the late 19th/early 20th century radiate. At its heart stands Queen Victoria, surrounded by the magnificent domes of The Maritime Museum and The City Hall.

Ferens Art Gallery

(http://www.hullcc.gov.uk/...). Free entry. Permanent collection of Sculpture and Paintings from medieval to present day, as well as a regular programme of temporary exhibitions from around the world. Strong on old European Masters, particularly Dutch and Flemish, the Ferens also houses some of the best contemporary art in the country. Includes masterpieces by Frans Hals, Antonio Canaletto, Stanley Spencer, David Hockney, Helen Chadwick and Gillian Wearing. There is a pleasant cafe on the ground floor of the gallery with an outside section overlooking part of Prince's dock. In February to April each year it hosts the 'Open Exhibition' to which, for a modest fee, amateurs as well as professional artists can submit their own work for sale or just display.

Maritime Museum

(http://www.hullcc.gov.uk/...). Free entry. Formerly the Whaling Museum and housed in the original Dock Offices for the Prince's Dock and Queen's Dock now Queen's Gardens. It is a huge, quaintly old-fashioned museum dedicated to Hull's glorious conquest of the High Seas and to the often tragic sacrifices made to it. An elegant staircase rises from the entrance hall and there are displays to interest all ages from the skeleton of a whale to models of ships to explantions of fishing methods.

Hull City Hall

Completed in 1903 and designed by Frank Matcham, the City Hall to some extent defied total destruction by Luftwaffe. When the bomb damage of 1941 was finally made good in 1950 it reopened to emerge, with its green copper roof, as one of the most loved structures in the city. Around the upper west end of the building is a frieze commemorating famous musical composers. The cupola of the previous town hall, built in 1866 by Cuthbert Brodrick, is sited at the west side of Pearson Park. The City Hall now regularly hosts Rock, Pop and Classical Concerts as well as Comedy events. Left of the entrance is the booking office for events in the city and to the right The Tourist Infomation Office.

trinity quarter

Created around the site of the old market square in front of Holy Trinity Church, and taking in the grand Victorian Hepworths Arcade, this is the main home in the city centre for vintage clothes, independent record shops, and alternative retail outlets. The square has benefited in recent times from sensitive restoration including seating and public art, as well as a great selection of small cafes with outdoor areas to make it a vital destination for any sightseeing tour.

Trinity House

(http://trinityhousehull.o...) - a large cream building - occupies the area on the corner of Trinity House Lane and Postern Gate. In the 14th century a Carmelite Friary stood here. Trinity House took over the site in the 16th century. Starting as a guild to care for mariners and their families, Trinity House expanded to control the movement of shipping in the Humber. The present façade dates from 1753, and of particular note is the decorated pediment on the east side incorporating a lion, unicorn, Britannia and Neptune.

Holy Trinity Church

(http://www.holy-trinity.o...) is officially the largest parish church in England, but as a piece of imposing medieval ecclesiastical architecture, it is to all intents and purposes more like a cathedral. The oldest parts date back to c.1300 and the 150ft high tower contains a ring of 15 bells.

A statue of Andrew Marvell 1621-1678, poet and MP for Hull, stands on a plinth in Trinity Square. Born at Winestead-in-Holderness just outside Hull he moved to the town when his father took up the position of Lecturer at Holy Trinity church. He was brought up at the Charter House where his father was Master and the garden in which he played is still there. Behind his statue is the Old Grammar School which he attended.

Old Grammar School

Free Entry. This is one of the oldest grammar schools in England dating back to the 16th century and open until 1873. From 1884 to 1915 it was the Choir School for Holy Trinity church. Among its many famous past scholars were Andrew Marvell and William Wilberforce. In 1988 it became Hands on History Museum which focuses on the history of Hull and it's people, recreates Victorian Childhood in the classroom and contains a genuine Egyptian Mummy. Child friendly.

The Woolen Warehouse

with its cartouche above the door of a lamb being weighed, stands to the east side of the Old Grammar School. This building was once the home of Hull’s Wool Exchange and stands testimony to Hull’s early importance in this trade. The export of wool was initiated in the middle ages by the Monks in the area and the various deserted medieval villages of the Wolds the rolling chalk lands to the north of Hull are thought to be the result of the early wool trade expansion

The arch leading to Prince Street is on the west side of the square. This curving Georgian street leads to Dagger Lane. The Prince after which it was named was the future King George IV.

Merchants Warehouse

is on the corner of King Street and Robson Row which lies on the south west corner of the square. Once the offices of various merchants it is now flats. This large brick building is a reminder that Hull has no natural building stone nearby so many of the early buildings were of brick.