HULL/MARITIME SPECIAL PHOTO-PAGES

Maritime Page1-Trawlers/Fishing
Main Page
Tugs/ Towing
Page2-Beverley/East-Yorkshire--with Photographs
Page3-North-Yorks'/Whitby/ East-Coast--with Photographs
Useful Links Page

PAGE3/ HULL'S WATERFRONT

Hull's waterfront is a large and awesome industrial monster.
From the Eastern 'King George' and 'Queen Elizebeth' docks that can hold all but the biggest vessels made, to the smaller and further inland town docks, there is a span of many miles.
The modern-day Hull is a far-cry of the old Hull of the 19th, and 20th centuries. many of the old docks are now gone, or are used for non-professional use. The old 'Fish-Dock'(St. Andrews) once the life-blood of the city, is mostly filled-in, and shopping has replaced the hussle and bussle of the fishermen and fish merchants.
Shipping entering the River Humber for Hull first pass Spurn Point on the starboard(north) side. The old lighthouse is still used today.
Paull also lies on that side, again a lighthouse, now a family home, is clearly visable. Also here is the old shipyard, once owned by the Hepworth family. At this yard, many small trawlers were built, along with repair work to many craft. When I myself worked here, more than 115 ships had been built up to the 1970's.
At the old port of Hedon, further inland, smaller barges once carried merchandise to the entire area from overseas, via a small inlet near Paull.
Paull has a Naval fortress, dating back to Henry 8th
It is at this point that the massive oil-jetties of Saltend loom by. Several miles further the large docks of Elizabeth and King George are easily recognised by the large vessels they usually contain, including Sea Ferries, and, sometimes, naval warships.
A must for inclusion here, is the fact that for hundreds of years, ferry-boats have been crossing the humber between Hull and "New Holland", which is near Barton, on the Lincolnshire(south) side of the River Humber. Sail driven ferries were once used, but steam-paddle driven ferries took over until they were abandoned only a few years ago, when the famouse "Humber Bridge" was built,and the small fleet finished operating.
The names of Hull ferries wre:-

Magna Carta
Manchester
Doncaster
Liverpool
Grimsby
Cleethorpes
Brockelsby
Immingham
Tattersall Castle
Wingfield Castle
Lincoln Castle
Faringford

A photograph of the "Lincoln Castle", a well known ferry-boat, is included below, along with one of the ferry terminal.
The Lincoln Castle was the last of the paddle steamer line, and the last british coal-burning steam paddle ship to operate.
Her last trip was on 17th March-1978, with A.J.Harvey the captain
All photographs are copyright, by G.A.Laud and E.Laud.
These ferries were operated by the Railway, along with ownership of the docks, at one time.
It can be noted that a hull merchant's family in the 1800's, along with other buisnessmen, started the famouse "Short, Harland and Wolf", later better known as "Harland and Wolf", of Belfast.

The oldest ( Queens ) dock, filled in almost a hundred years ogo, is now a flower-garden. At its east end is the old statue of William Wilberforce, who. along with others, was a major factor in abolishing the African slave-trade. The Humber Dock, built next, connects with lock-gates, to Prince's Dock, which has now a very large buisness complex built over it, supported by stilts from the dock's base.

A view of Prince's Dock is shown above. In the background can be seen the Hull Maritime Museum, with towers similar to St. Pauls Cathederal, in London.
There are many exibits, including Fishing and towing, also artifacts of Eskimaux and Whaling history.
The curator is a helpful gentleman by the name of Arthur Credland.

The Holy Trinity Church in Lowgate-Hull, which is one of the oldest buildings in the area.

Lowgate is a very old and interesting area of Hull
Along with the churches of holy trinity and St. Mary, there is also an old bronze statue of King William.
This statue was transported to Sancton, a viliage 20miles from Hull, to avoid German bombs during the last war.
It is worth seeing, and close nearbye are several very old 'pubs', the 'Blue bell' probably the oldest
Visitors from the U.S.A. are very supprised to see the name-sign on another very old and interesting pub-"Ye Olde Black Boy", which would not be allowed in their home land.




As the docks are a very interesting part of Hull, there is always, even now , something to be seen there.
When trouble reared it's head during the Bosnia war, United Nations warships were seen in the Hull Docks, shown below.

The North Sea Ferries have schedualed trips to Nederland and other destinations each day.
They run from the larger King George Dock to Rotterdam mostly.Below-left, The Norwind.
The Biggest cruise-ferry in the world--
--"The Pride Of Rotterdam"-- is to start sailing between Hull and Nederland, with a sister ship--"The Pride Of Hull", to start in the Autumn(2001)
The Pride Of Rotterdam--photo.
The vessels will be 215 meters long and 31.5 meters wide. they will be in the 60,000 tonne class and will carry 1,360 passengers, also 250 vehicles with a special resturant to include a drivers section.
The Royal Yacht "Britania" is shown with one of United Towing Company's tugs, just off Hull's Minerva Pier.-Below-right.

The Hessle built "Sir Winston Churchill" is shown above-left, just after completion in the early sixties.
She has just been de-commisioned, and sold privateley, after over thirty years as a training vessel linked to Trinity House.
In the centre of the city, the River Hull joins the Humber.
At the very mouth of the River Hull is an area known as "Sammie's Point".This area is now under construction and will be transformed into a "Deep Sea" enviroment viewing area, to be named "The Deep".
Further up the river is my town--Beverley.
Beverley once had a shipyard, where many small to mediun sized vessels were built.

THE HULL FAIR

The HULL FAIR, held every year, in October, is the decendant of a very old fair, with common links to the old Nottingham "Goose" Fair, and indeed, it has been held just after that famouse fair, the showmen and traders travelling to Hull after the Nottingham Fair finished.
Families of travelling showpeople have kept up a tradition by continuing the annual haul to Hull for this very event
Even local tramps and charactors, like the famouse Roland Pike, who lived rough in local barns, were once seen every year at the fair, parading the stages of shows.
There were once full circus shows, animal shows, car and motorcycle"Wall Of Death" riders, Winchester rifle shooting with real "Wild West" repeaters, real boxing, knife throwing acts, steam-driven rides, and even fairground made Nuggat and other foods, much more.
Today, there is much bustle and many super-rides are there for the mad weeks', almost non-stop, action.

Maritime Page1-Trawlers/Fishing
Main Page
Tugs/ Towing
Page2-Beverley/East-Yorkshire--with Photographs
Page3-North-Yorks'/Whitby/ East-Coast--with Photographs
Useful Links Page

Page updated 09-October-2007