Kingston upon Hull

Heritage Evidence Base

April 2014

Executive Summary

It is generally agreed that the city of Hull has a distinct character, identity and sense of place, however it is more difficult to pinpoint exactly what it is that makes the city distinctive. To help in this task, the City Council and the Architecture Centre for Hull and the Humber Region (Arc) organised various events during summer 2009 to explore the concept of ‘Hullness’. Perhaps not surprisingly, no definitive view was reached and the debate continues. However, the responses to the events have highlighted some recurring themes and factors that contribute to the distinct character of the city. These are set out below. ‘Hullness’ has been concerned with ‘character’ in all its senses, including cultural, social, economic, environmental and physical aspects. However, for the purposes of this study, ‘character’ is concerned with the impact of the above elements on the built form of the city.

The physical setting of Hull in a flat landscape where the River Hull joins the Humber Estuary means that expanses of water and sky are characteristic features of the city. Hull is an industrial port city located some distance away from other large towns and set in the rural East Riding of Yorkshire. Traditionally it has looked to the sea and continental Europe rather than the rest of England. Unlike most other northern and midland cities, it is not part of a conurbation. This relative isolation has given it an independent and distinctive character.

Trade with Baltic, Dutch and French ports over the centuries has influenced the built form, architecture, economy and culture of the city. 17th century prints show Hull to resemble a Dutch town, walled and almost surrounded by water, with buildings of Dutch-style bricks, gables and pantiled roofs. Construction of the Town Docks In the late 18th century brought water inland to what would become the city centre and development of the Georgian New Town began. The Old Town became, in effect, an island and today it still retains a defined identity and medieval street pattern.

The 19th century brought expansion of the docks and development of associated industries. Distinctive communities developed linked to these industries: fishing in west Hull, with migrants from other coastal areas of the UK; cargo handling in east Hull; and oilseed processing to the north on both banks of the River Hull. The industrial area along the River Hull retains its historic character in the Wincolmlee area. The physical barrier of the River Hull and the limited number of bridge crossings has meant that the west and east sides of the city have developed with differing characters and identities, most notably manifested by the city producing two rival rugby teams. Physical expansion of the city resulted in a series of long, straight radial roads, with the streets between them packed with very high density housing of a type that is unique to Hull – ‘courts’ of short terraces at right angles to the street with pedestrian-only access. Although now far fewer in number, areas of these terraces still exist in the inner area today. At the same time, early planned developments of good quality houses began, such as the Avenues in west Hull and Garden Village in east Hull. Improvements to the city centre in the late Victorian period brought distinctively designed public buildings such as the Guildhall and City Hall, and wide new streets of commercial buildings, e.g. Jameson Street and King Edward Street.

In the 20th century, particularly following the two world wars, social factors came to the fore with programmes of housing improvement through slum clearance and the evolution of town planning. The radial roads were extended into tree-lined dual carriageways and a ring of public housing estates were developed around the city. This type of development is found in most large towns and cities, and it reflects the styles of the time, e.g. garden city style estates in the interwar period and non-traditional layouts in the 1960s. These estates are a significant feature of the city, not least because of the extensive areas of land they occupy. During the post WW2 period the out-migration of more affluent people to East Riding settlements just beyond the city boundary, such as Cottingham and Willerby, has continued and accelerated. This process began in the 19th century with the arrival of the railway, while in the 20th century it has been largely enabled by the growth in incomes and car ownership. This has meant that the city has continued to be dominated by terraced housing for the less affluent, although this is being addressed with the development of new ‘aspirational’ housing in areas such as Victoria Dock and Kingswood. Economically, the period since the 1970s has seen a significant decline in Hull’s traditional industries, with resulting dereliction, although the port continues to thrive but with far fewer employees.

Despite extensive war-time bombing and post-war redevelopment, the city centre remains spacious and this is enhanced by extensive pedestrianisation and the absence of through traffic. Neglect of the Old Town following WW2 inadvertently helped to preserve it. Regeneration of the area since the 1980s has capitalised on an asset that many visitors do not expect to find in Hull. A marked contrast is evident between the narrow streets and confined buildings of the Old Town and the wide streets and openness of the New Town, where much of the post-war commercial development has taken place. Following a period of post-war reconstruction with plain buildings of indifferent design, some distinctive buildings have been constructed in recent years that reflect Hull’s maritime character, in particular the Princes Quay shopping centre over the former Princes Dock and The Deep, a millennium visitor attraction located where the River Humber joins the Humber Estuary. Similarly, residential development on the former Victoria Dock has drawn inspiration from Hull’s maritime past, though many other developments consist of standard volume house- builder designs. Most recently the St Stephens shopping development adjacent to the rail and bus station has brought a bespoke design to a prominent location. Even with these developments, the city remains predominantly low-rise in character.

The interaction of Hull’s physical setting with its economic and social development over time, and the resulting built form, has created the character of the present-day city. This character can be summarised, in simple terms, as an industrial port city set on an estuary some distance from other towns and cities, where the flatness of the land and expanses of sky and water are constantly evident. Particular features of Hull include: the city centre where the narrow streets of the Old Town contrast with the spaciousness of the New Town; radial roads lined by small shops giving way to tree-lined dual carriageways; inner city areas where late Victorian/Edwardian terraces stand alongside post-war redevelopment; extensive outer estates of public housing that are known largely only to the people who live in them; and post-1980s regeneration with distinctive new buildings in the city centre and waterfront area. Introduction

Heritage provides a sense of place and local identity, with which people can readily associate. It can be a focus for engagement and discussion. It can establish a platform for a wide range of activities be they economic, cultural, social, leisure or environmental and provide a basis or vision for the ‘future history’ of a community. In a world changing at an increasing rate, heritage and history offer continuity and a backdrop to the immediate. Engagement in heritage and conservation offers a wide range of education, training and skills development opportunities.

However, the historic environment is a fragile and finite resource, once an element of it is lost it is gone forever. Each element that goes to make the whole has its own intrinsic value and may come under a variety of increasing pressures. To ensure the historic environment is sustained for the enjoyment of future generation there is a need for collective responsibility for its care and stewardship. This requires an understanding of the nature and value of our heritage assets in order to ensure that any decisions taken and proposed changes positively preserve or enhance their unique value.

The value of the historic environment is enshrined in national government policy and legislation. This is articulated by local government policy and practice, supported by local amenity groups and expressed in the popularity of historic buildings and places in the collective public mind. Kingston upon Hull has a rich, varied and unique heritage. The evolution of the city continues to be relevant to people living both within and outside the boundaries of Hull. The history and heritage of the city work to shapes people’s lives and the landscape around them. It is therefore important that we accord the historic environment the duty of care it deserves when considering proposals that affect it and ensure that all works are carried out in a sensitive and non-intrusive manner so that future generations can continue to enjoy the heritage offer of the city.

This document reviews and brings together the Council’s evidence base on the historic environment. It sets out the history behind the growth and development of Hull, with emphasis on defining times and events and the assessment of the character of Hull.

Planning Context

Paragraph 17 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) sets out 12 Core Principles for the planning system. One of these principles is: conserve heritage assets in a manner appropriate to their significance, so they can be enjoyed for their contribution to the quality of life of this and future generations.

The Plan Making section of the NPPF sets out the content of Local Plans and how they should be evidenced. Paragraph 156 of the NPPF requires Local Plans to set out the strategic priorities for the area and strategic policies to these. This includes the conservation and enhancement of the historic environment. Paragraph 157 provides further detail: Local Plans should contain a clear strategy for enhancing the historic environment and highlight areas of land where development would be inappropriate because of its historic significance.

The specific evidence base requirements as regards the historic environment are set out in paragraphs 169 and 170. In short, up-to-date evidence should be available and used to assess the significance of heritage assets and their contribution. The likelihood of currently unidentified heritage sites being discovered should be assessed. It also advises that landscape character assessments should be prepared and integrated with assessment of historic landscape character.

Section 12 of the NPPF is specifically about conserving and enhancing the historic environment. The majority of it relates specifically to assessing specific proposals which affect heritage assets, however it does provide further detail about the role of the Local Plan in relation to the historic environment at paragraph 126.

It specifically requires the Local Plan to set out a positive strategy for the conservation and enjoyment of the historic environment, including those assets at risk. It should recognise the irreplaceable nature of heritage and that conservation efforts should relate to the level of significance of the asset. The development of the strategy should specifically take into account: the desirability of sustaining and enhancing the significance of heritage assets and putting them to viable uses consistent with their conservation the wider social, cultural, economic and environmental benefits that conservation of the historic environment can bring; the desirability of new development making a positive contribution to local character and distinctiveness; and opportunities to draw on the contribution made by the historic environment to the character of a place.

Heritage Assets

There are different types of recognised heritage asset in Hull. This document provides an overview and has links to the Council’s website where appropriate. It is not proposed to go into detail on these assets in this document. Listed Buildings There are 461 Listed Buildings in Hull. Seven of these are classified as Grade I and a further 14 as Grade II*, and are of more than special interest. The remaining 434 are classified as Grade II, and contribute significantly to the character of the town. Local List Many other interesting historic buildings survive, particularly within the Old Town and the central area, but are not protected by listing. Nevertheless, they may still retain historic features which are worthy of record. A local list has also been prepared which contains 255 buildings which are of local interest. Scheduled Monument There is one Scheduled Monument which has different implications for different areas of the site. Conservation Areas The city has 26 Conservation Areas some of which have Article 4 Directions. The majority also have character appraisals which can also be found on our website. Registered Historic Parks and Gardens The city has two registered Historic Parks which are given special consideration when considering applications. Humber Sites and Monuments Record The City has 2580 monuments recorded on the Sites and Monuments Record (SMR) as heritage assets. These include 959 building records, which in turn include all the Listed Buildings as well as all the buildings included on Hull’s Local List. In addition, the building records on the SMR also include non-listed buildings of heritage or architectural interest. Also, the SMR records 137 find spots within the city which range from prehistoric axe heads to post-medieval coins, two landscape records including a submarine forest at Victoria Dock and one maritime record for 19th century boats on the Humber foreshore. The remaining 1481 heritage assets on the SMR are all monument records which include the Scheduled Monument of Hull Citadel as well as other extensive heritage assets including the site of many friaries and priories across the city, the sites of many hospitals and other significant buildings within the Old Town area as well as other parts of the city including the areas of medieval settlement at villages such as Sutton and Marfleet. The monument records also include Roman remains along the Hull River corridor, Iron Age and Romano- British settlement at Saltshouse Road and Roman and medieval remains at Kingswood.

Legend

Registered Parks & Gardens Scheduled Ancient Monuments Listed Buildings Local Buildings List Conservation Areas Wards Historic Evolution of Hull

Medieval and Pre-1800 The name Kingston upon Hull is derived from the River Hull which bisects the city, and Edward I (right) who renamed the original settlement of Wyke when he acquired it in 1293 from the Abbey of Meaux. It was acquired principally for its strategic location as a supply port in the north of England, to use in his campaigns against the Scottish. Another major consideration was that the port was very lucrative – it was already handling one of the highest totals of goods passing through any port on the south and east coasts. In 1299, a royal charter was granted and it was declared to be a royal borough and was granted various liberties. The original street plan of the settlement was largely dictated by the course of the River Hull. Within a century of its foundation, Hull had grown to a town of about 60 households.

By the start of the 14th Century, the port of Hull was the second largest port after London. Its position of importance was exemplified by the role of the De La Pole family who started off in the wool trade and grew rich through money lending to the kings of England. Hull’s prosperity continued to grow and wealthy merchants built grand houses along the narrow High Street adjoining their private wharfs and staithes on the River Hull. Edward II endorsed the first fortification of Hull in 1321 when he granted a license to build a ditch and bank around the town. This was later replaced by brick walls from the 1330s onward. It has been estimated that around 4,700,000 bricks were used in the wall’s construction (the largest medieval brick structure in England). The only visible remains of these defences are the foundations of Beverley Gate and a section of adjoining wall at the west end of Whitefriargate.

During the 15th Century foreign trade continued to be the foundation of Hull’s economy and its uncertain course dictated the fluctuating fortunes of the town. In 1440 the culmination of Hull’s self-government saw the town given corporate and county status and it was greatly enlarged by the addition of an area stretching 5 miles west of the town.

Hull’s position as a garrison town and royal arsenal was strengthened in the 16th Century when Henry VIII reviewed its fortifications and ordered three new blockhouses (small forts) joined by a curtain wall and several other structures to be built to protect the harbour, (principally against a possible French invasion). This was replaced in 1681 by a 33 acre fortification (or Citadel). These restricted the expansion of the town and would later lead to issues of overcrowding.

Hull continued to be an important port in the later middle ages. It exported lead and grain as well as wool. Imports included cloth from the Netherlands, iron-ore from Sweden, oil seed from the Baltic and timber from Riga and Norway – timber and oil seed continue to be major imports through the present day ports. Trade with the Netherlands was particularly extensive and this appears to have influenced the architectural style of the day. Hull had the appearance of a Dutch town with its high brick walls, surrounding moat and gabled houses along the banks of the River Hull. The port suffered a decline in trade during the 16th and 17th centuries but its strategic importance meant it received the military attentions of both sides in the English civil wars. In April 1642 King Charles I attempted to take control of the arsenal in the town but was turned away from the gates by the governor Sir John Hotham. Hull supported the Parliamentarian side in the conflict and was consequently besieged by the Royalists for five weeks in 1643.

Hull’s commerce was originally confined to the old harbour (around the mouth of the River Hull extending to North Bridge). It was a natural harbour with cargoes landed and loaded on the wharves on the west side of the river. At the time it was unique as it had no legal Quay and therefore it was difficult for the custom officers to assess duty to be paid, leading to a loss of revenue for the government. For this reason, and the increase in trade fuelled by the Industrial Revolution in West Yorkshire, Hull’s first dock, Queen’s Dock was opened to relieve congestion in the old harbour. Construction began in 1775 and was completed in 1778 and at the time was the largest dock in England. All of this lead to a population growth in the town from 7,000 in the 1670s to 15 -18,000 a century later. As part of its development the town walls to the north were demolished and much needed land released for development. New wide roads and elegant middle class terraces followed quickly, the remains of which form the Georgian New Town Conservation Area today. Two other docks, the present Humber Dock and Princes Dock, were opened in 1809 and 1820 respectively.

Due largely to the confined nature of Hull prior to 1800, little development from this time exists today. A noteworthy exception is Charterhouse, a former monastery and almshouse whose origins date back to the 14th century (right.)

19th and Early 20th Centuries (1800 – 1919) Hull benefited from the industrial growth of its hinterland from the late 18th century. It was not just a port for the towns of the industrial revolution, it became a part of the revolution itself. Some of the town’s leading merchants, such as the Blaydes, had diversified into industry. The Blaydes family had gone into ship building (their claim to fame being that their shipyard built the ‘Bounty’). The 19th century saw the establishment of industries based on processing raw materials imported through the port, such as corn milling, seed crushing and paint manufacturing (left). The early century also saw a growth of engineering in Hull, as ships became steam-driven and then iron-hulled and the flourishing flour and oil- seed crushing mills required more sophisticated machinery.

The late 18th century saw the rise of the whaling trade in Hull, one of its main entrepreneurs being Samuel Standidge, who sent three whalers to Greenland in 1768. By 1800, 40% of the country’s whalers sailed from the town, the really prosperous period being 1815 to 1825 when 2,000 men were employed in the trade. The whaling trade brought increased prosperity to the town until it began to decline through over-fishing in the mid 19th century. During the good year of 1820, 50 vessels sailed from Hull to go whale hunting, but by 1832 this number had declined to just 28.

By then, the fishing industry itself was beginning to take off. In the 1840s, the ‘silver pits’ – a very fish-rich part of the North Sea (only 50 miles from Hull), led to fishermen from Devon and Kent migrating to the Humber, at first seasonally and then permanently. The number of ‘smacks’ fishing from Hull rose from 29 in 1845 to 270 in 1863. Those employed as fishermen rose from 4 in 1841 to 313 in 1861, 924 in 1871 and 1, 578 in 1881, with the corresponding rise in the population of Hull from 32,958 in 1831 to 277,991 in 1911. The introduction in the late 19th century of new fishing methods – the ‘trawl’ and of steam powered trawlers, meant that Hull fisherman fished as far afield as Iceland and the White Sea and led to the dramatic increase in employees in the fishing industry.

Trade and industry were further boosted by the arrival of the rail link with Leeds in 1840. Other railways followed, including the Hull and Barnsley Railway and associated dock which were opened in 1885 to break the perceived local monopoly of the North Eastern Railway. With the opening of the railways in Hull, five more docks were constructed during the later 19th century and two followed in the 20th century. The Town Docks system was extended in 1846 when the Railway Dock (right) was opened and its use was dominated by the Wilson Line, Hull’s biggest steamship company. Victoria Dock followed in 1850 and was the first to be built on the east side of the River Hull, principally for the importing of timber from the Baltic. The Albert Dock, parallel to the Humber was opened in 1869 and became the home of the North Sea fishing fleet. In 1883 St. Andrews Dock met the demands of the town’s expanding fishing industry. Further east along the Humber Alexandra Dock opened in 1885 and further east still King George Dock was opened in 1914.

Hull’s earliest industrial development took place along the east bank of the River Hull. New docks were built, to the west of the old town to accommodate the growing fishing industry and to the east for the timber trade. The processing and manufacturing industries were concentrated northwards alongside the River Hull (left). Near the docks and industrial areas vast numbers of working class houses were built, first westwards to the south of Anlaby Road and to the north west between Beverley Road and the river and then to the east along Holderness and Hedon Roads. Many families in these areas lived in short courts running at right angles to the main street (containing typically 6 to 10 dwellings) ending with a wall dividing them from the corresponding court running from the adjoining street. This cul-de-sac terraced housing was distinctive to Hull and examples still exist, particularly off Hawthorn Avenue, Newland Avenue and Holderness Road.

This expansion saw the medieval villages of Drypool and Sculcoates incorporated into Hull in 1837. A number of historic mills and warehouses still remain along the river today. In 1882 Marfleet was incorporated into the city. It retained its rural character until into the 20th century. Marfleet today still remains a distinctive feature of the city and one of its earliest industrial companies – Fenners – still remains.

The industrial revolution brought with it pollution, poverty and poor living conditions, which in turn led to ill health. During the Victorian period a number of national and local housing policy reforms sought to address concerns over living conditions and health. Between the first Public Health Act in 1848 and the Houses of the Working Classes Act 1890, local authorities gained powers over sewerage, drainage, health, compulsory purchase and housing standards, including building Council house. The ability to use compulsory purchase to replace unfit housing granted under the Artisans and Labourers Dwelling Improvement Act 1875 had little impact in Hull: compensation had to be paid and construction costs were high, resulting in unaffordable rents.

Municipal housing in Hull was therefore very limited before the First World War, although some was constructed through philanthropic societies. In 1862 the ‘Society for Improving the Condition of the Labouring Classes’, erected a tenement block called the ‘Model Dwellings’ (now owned by the Sutton Housing Trust) on the corner of Midland and St. Luke’s Streets (Thornton area). In 1889-90 the Hull Artisans and Labourers Dwellings Co. Ltd built 53 houses in the area now know as Gordon Avenue in the New Bridge Road area.

In Hull in the 19th century middle class housing was limited. The town’s wealthiest merchants had relocated to the villages west of Hull, whilst the rest built imposing terraces along Anlaby Road, Spring Bank and Beverley Road in the 1840’s and 1850’s. In 1860 Pearson Park was opened, Hull’s first example of an extensive, publicly accessible recreation space, followed in the 1870’s by the Avenues (above) with tall Victorian terraced houses along tree-lined boulevards. Other notable examples of this later Victorian housing, which still exist today, include Boulevard and Coltman Street.

In the late 19th century Hull’s main shopping area gradually moved westwards from its original site around Market Place in the Old Town. It gradually gravitated towards Paragon Station after it opened in 1848, although the commercial centre (the banks, insurance companies, merchants’ and solicitors’ offices) remained on Lowgate and Silver Street. A new city centre was formed around 1900 with the creation of Queen Victoria Square and the laying out of King Edward Street, Jameson Street and Alfred Gelder Street. Hull was granted city status in 1897 and the civic pride that went with it is demonstrated in the grandeur of its Edwardian public buildings, such as the Guildhall (completed in 1916) designed by the architect Sir Edwin Cooper and the City Hall (opened in1909) designed by Joseph H Hirst, the first city architect.

Hull was at its most prosperous in the years before the First World War and an Edwardian spirit of improvement went with this prosperity. On Cottingham Road, to the north, a teacher training college (now part of the University of Hull campus) was constructed in 1910. To the east, Sir James Reckitt bought 130 acres of land for his employees and created Hull’s ‘Garden Village’ designed by local architects Runton and Barry (opened in 1908) which embodied the attributes of space, architecture and nature associated with the garden city movement (left).

Inter War Years (1919 – 1945) The sense of civic pride and drive for improvement appears to have continued through the inter-war period, principally around the expanding city centre. Ferens Art Gallery was opened in 1927, work began on the development of Ferensway in 1931 and the creation of Queen’s Gardens in 1930. By the 20th century Queen’s Dock (which had been in use for over 150 years) was becoming redundant, more docks had opened in the city and deep sea fishing had moved to these newer docks, and in 1930 it finally closed. It was then purchased by the Hull Corporation for £100,000 and over the next four years it was filled in and landscaped to become a Pleasure Garden (now Queen’s Gardens).

1927 also saw the start of construction of University College Hull, then an external college of the University of London (later to become the University of Hull). It opened a year later with 14 departments in pure sciences and the arts and 39 students. The college at that time consisted of one building, the Venn Building (named after the mathematician John Venn, who was born in Hull) on Cottingham Road (above left). The college gained its Royal Charter in 1954 which empowered it to award its own degrees, making it the third university in Yorkshire and the 14th in England.

The economic structure of Hull in the inter-war years was atypical of that in the wider country. Heavy industries such as shipbuilding were not as significant in Hull as they were in other areas so Hull did not experience the levels of unemployment seen in other areas. Nevertheless unemployment in Hull was typically above the national average. There were two significant aspects to this: the lack of employment opportunities for women and high unemployment among unskilled workers. The expansion of the port to 1914 had created a large pool of unskilled workers. Reductions in the amount of goods passing through the port and mechanisation resulted in a high level of unemployment among this group.

However there was some economic growth at this time. There was a considerable expansion in the fishing industry, and in 1922 British Petroleum established a depot at Saltend, alongside the existing Shell Mex depot. Other industries which were playing an important role and remain recognisable today include food manufacturing, boilers, surgical goods and engineering.

This period also saw many improvements in housing. The landmark ‘Addison Housing and Town Planning Act’ of 1919 followed on from Lloyd George’s famous speech in 1918 promising “to make Britain a fit country for heroes to live in”. This act brought radical changes across the country, including Hull. For the first time, legislation forced local authorities to build new houses in working class areas, and all towns and cities with populations over 20,000 had to prepare development schemes. Central government gave financial help for this between 1919 and 1923. Local authorities were required to do surveys of their areas to find out what the housing problems were (right) and the municipal housing created had to be let at a low rent so poorer families could afford them.

This resulted in the construction of 518 local authority homes in Hull, with the main sites being Gipsyville, Preston Road and Greenwood Avenue estates. In the private sector there was extensive ribbon housing development along the main arterial roads, particularly to the west of the city.

The ‘Chamberlain Housing Act’ of 1923 sought to encourage private housing development through the use of subsides, this led to the construction of 2,667 private homes (which continued until the early 1930’s) also known as ‘subsidy’ housing. The main areas being Chanterlands/Bricknell Avenue, Calvert Lane and Belgrave Road in west Hull and James Reckitt Avenue/Gillshill Road and Southcoates Lane in the east. In response to concerns that the 1923 housing act was not benefiting the majority of the population, the ‘Wheatley Housing Act’ (1924) put the focus back on providing homes for the working classes. ‘Subsidy’ housing was unaffordable for most low-paid working families. The ‘Greenwood Housing Act’ (1930) introduced a five-year programme for slum clearance and forced local authorities to provide housing for those who had lost their homes through clearance schemes (left). Slums had developed in British cities for economic reasons and Hull was no exception. Working class families traditionally lived in the city centre and close to their places of work. A 1925 medical report on Hull stated that 2,578 houses were needed to re-house persons living in unhealthy areas. The report also mentioned “much overcrowding” in the “narrow courts” with demolition as the only solution. Under these two acts 4,000 new homes were built in the city. In total there were 34 demolition orders between April 1931 and September 1938 involving 10,578 people, 2,790 houses and numerous businesses.

During this period the Garden City Movement was particularly influential in offering a vision for improved housing conditions. It promoted good quality housing in a heavily landscaped setting, complemented by community facilities. In Hull this is probably best realised by the aptly named ‘Garden Village’ which was started in 1907 but had another phase of construction from 1923. Another example is ‘Broadway’, also in east Hull which was built by British Oil and Cake Mills Ltd for its employees. The public sector adopted the space standards of the Garden City Movement as well but owing to public funding constraints, estates lacked the variety, architectural detailing and maintenance regimes that enhanced private sector garden cities.

This extensive growth took the city closer to the village of Sutton-on-Hull (or Sutton-in- Holderness) and in 1929 the viallage was incorporated into the city. The village core remains and includes the Grade I Listed St. James Church.

Approximately 10, 000 council houses were developed in west Hull during the inter-war period following the slum clearances. These developments tended to follow the arterial roads and included purpose-built centres and public open space. As a result of this expansion, by 1939 12% of housing stock in the city was council owned.

During the Second World War Hull’s port and industrial facilities, coupled with its proximity to mainland Europe, saw it devastated by bombing raids. Much of the city centre was completely destroyed. The city was the most severely bombed British city or town apart from London, with 92% of houses being damaged or destroyed (left). Of a population of approximately 320,000 at the beginning of the war, approximately 192,000 were made homeless as a result of bomb damage. The worst of the bombing occurred during March and May 1941. Little was known about the extent of this destruction by the rest of the country at the time since most of the radio and newspaper reports did not reveal Hull by name but referred to it as a “North- East coastal” town.

Post War Years (1945 – 1980) Following the widespread destruction in Hull in the Second World War, the services of two great town planners, Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir Patrick Abercrombie were secured to draw up a reconstruction plan for the city. A Plan for the City and County of Kingston upon Hull – 1945 (right) involved the wholesale re-planning of the city centre. Among the more radical ideas suggested in the plan included proposals to build a satellite town for 60,000 people at Burton Constable and an inner ring road to run along a widened High Street. Most of the proposals were not implemented (likely due to the high costs involved), although some, including the inner ring road, were incorporated in the City Council’s own Development Plan (1954), to the detriment of the Old Town.

Housing clearance accelerated after the war, with council housing forming most of the replacement development. Between 1945 and 1989 the number of council homes rose from 10,000 to over 50,000 accounting for almost fifty per cent of the city’s housing stock. In east Hull this development took place around Bilton Grange, Greatfield (right) and Longhill and in west Hull at Boothferry Estate and Priory Road/Bricknell Avenue. These early estates mainly followed the inter war patterns of development.

Some inner city redevelopment (1960 - 80) took place, principally between Anlaby Road and Hessle Road, south of Spring Bank and east of Beverley Road, but most building happened on the peripheral edges of the built up area, Ings and Bransholme (east Hull) and Orchard Park (west Hull) are foremost examples. Bransholme was built as a largely self- sufficient residential community incorporating a number of schools, churches, community facilities and retail areas. It had come into being following the war when it became necessary (largely due to the devastation caused during the war) to re-house on a massive scale. The City Council already owned a lot of undeveloped land on the northern margin of the city and acquired more by 1948. The intention of the council at the time was to provide a new town rather than a large estate but government approval was not forthcoming. The ‘Bransholme Estate’ (left) was originally planned to house a population of 26,000 and this figure grew to over 30,000 at its height. It was built in the late 1960’s and early 70’s with the first homes officially opened on 1st May 1967.

This later council building (1960 – 80) was influenced by the 1961 report on housing space standards in public housing entitled ‘Homes for Today and Tomorrow’ published by the Parker Morris Housing Committee. The report concluded that the quality of social housing needed to be improved to match the rise in living standards and made a number of recommendations, resulting in the ‘Parker Morris Standards’. In 1967 these space standards became mandatory of all housing built in new towns and was extended to all new council housing in 1969. In Hull in this period new types of development were tried including (i) non-traditional pre-fabricated building techniques, (ii) inward looking estates designed according to ‘Radburn principles’ with roads and parking at the edges of pedestrian housing areas, and (iii) high-rise development. The ‘Ings Caspons’ estate is an example where all three ‘advances’ were tried (probably unsuccessfully in hindsight).

The profile of trade and industry changed in Hull after the war which had a dramatic effect on the city as a whole during this period. By the 1950’s trawlermen had made Hull a wealthy city, at its peak almost 8,000 trawlermen worked out of its docks (left). But in the later part of the second half of the century the industry was plagued by over-fishing and foreign competition. Trawlers had become bigger and more efficient and took more fish. Relations with Iceland, where fishing was central to the national economy, deteriorated in the 1960’s leading to the ‘cod wars’ when British naval ships had to protect Hull’s trawler fleet. The trawler industry was greatly damaged by the last of these ‘Cod Wars’ in the 70’s but managed to survive by investing in new port facilities and building food-processing plants, until 1980 when the whole Hull trawler fleet went bankrupt.

Post 1980’s From the 1980’s in terms of housing, the emphasis moved away from clearance to one of recovery and refurbishment. Urban regeneration became the key concern for Hull. It describes a wide range of activities designed to bring a new vitality and viability to previously run down areas of the city. Regeneration involved refurbishing buildings, renewing infrastructure and the built environment and redeveloping buildings that have reached the end of their useful life. This gradual renewal and regeneration was generally considered to be less socially and economically disruptive than the clearances of earlier in the century.

Coltman Street became a Housing Action Area (HAA) in 1983. This gave the Council powers to make private landlords provide adequate accommodation and improve the appearance of their properties. Private developers were also encouraged to come into the area to build new houses and convert and refurbish some of the historic older properties. In the last two years of the HAA the Council also undertook environmental works, such as repaving, renewing railings and walls and creating roadside islands to delineate car parking bays. Overall, the HAA was considered a success and succeeded in saving the historic character of Coltman Street (left).

Housing Action Trusts (HAT) were set up by the government to redevelop some of the poorest council housing estates in Britain, six Housing Action Trusts were established under the ‘Housing Act of 1988’, including North Hull Housing Action Trust. North Hull became the first HAT to begin after the 1988 act which allowed HATs to take over the running of local authority estates. The main aim of the North Hull HAT was to achieve long lasting improvements in the living conditions of residents by repairing and improving properties, managing the housing stock more effectively, encouraging diversity of tenure and generally improving the overall social, environmental and physical conditions of the estate. Work started in April 1991 on the £50 million five year improvement scheme and by the end of the programme (in 1999, Hull was the first of the original six areas to complete their schedule of works) the Trust had carried out renovation work on 2,332 properties and a further 335 new properties had been built.

In east Hull, The Garths Geographical Priority Area (GPA) is another example of a major housing modernisation and improvement programme in an existing local authority council estate. GPAs took a more holistic approach to urban renewal, they moved the emphasis away from only tackling physical problems to incorporate wider social issues, such as education, health, social inclusion and sustainable development. In The Garths, these measures included improving greenspace, creating jobs and new businesses, reinforcing lifelong learning, providing leisure and cultural facilities and community support. The programme was formally approved in December 1994, with funding secured under the Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) Phase One and delivered by the City Council through City Vision Ltd. (its regeneration delivery partner), a company based upon a partnership of organisations drawn from across the public, private, community and voluntary sectors. Through the Single Regeneration Budget Phase Two, the Council and City Vision were again successful in obtaining £11.7 million (the final overall value of this regeneration scheme was £71 million when finished) for the improvement of the Gipsyville council estate. This programme involved major redevelopment of the estate including some demolition of the original properties and replacement by private housing (see above).

In terms of private housing, the major developments have happened on reclaimed docklands (in east and west Hull).The profile of trade in Hull had changed after the war and this continued into the 1980’s. Following the closure of the smaller, older docks and the increase in container and passenger ferry traffic at Queen Elizabeth and King George Docks, Associated British Ports decided to sell their redundant sites at Victoria Dock and Priory Sidings (Summergroves). These were redeveloped by private developers (from the late 1980’s and completed by 2003) and have evolved into successful communities.

Landscape setting of Hull

Geology, soil and topography Kingston upon Hull lies near England’s east coast on relatively flat lowland, where the River Hull meets the northern bank of the Humber Estuary, approximately 20 miles from the North Sea. It is built on alluvial and glacial deposits which overlie chalk rocks; this chalk bedrock is overlain by tills composed of loam, clays, sands and gravels. It is generally very flat, only 2 to 4 metres above sea level with some areas of the city lying on reclaimed land at or below sea level. The predominant soil type is seasonally wet deep clay, which typically has a low permeability, which means that rainfall runs off the surface rather than infiltrates into the soil.

Rivers and drainage Lying at the juncture of the Humber Estuary and the River Hull both rivers have had, and continue to have, a unique influence on the city. The River Hull (left) has its source in the Yorkshire Wolds and joins the Humber Estuary in the centre of Hull. The current course of the river was originally just a tributary of the main river which came out further to the west along what is now Commercial Road. The course of the river was diverted in the early 13th Century by the Cistercian monks of Meaux into the creek which now forms its course. It receives salt water from the Humber Estuary and so is therefore brackish (a mixture of sea water and fresh water) throughout its length, yet it is still very important for wildlife. Numerous bird species are known to breed along the river including the reed and sedge warbler.

The Humber Estuary (right) makes up over 4% of the total area of Hull and has the largest catchment of any estuary in the British Isles and drains one- fifth of the land area of England. The Humber starts at the juncture of the River Ouse and the River Trent where it is approximately 1 mile wide. It increases its width until at its mouth, 37 miles to the east, it is about 8 miles wide between North Lincolnshire and Spurn Point, East Yorkshire. The waters of this tidal estuary are heavily laden with sediment which mainly comes from the eroding boulder clay of the Holderness coast and gives it its distinctive brown appearance. The water (despite its appearance) and associated habitats, including saltmarsh and reedbeds are particularly important. The estuary itself is home to many species including grey seals and lamprey and provides important nurseries for North Sea fish populations such as codling. Over one-third of the estuary is exposed as mud or sandflats at low tide. These intertidal flats are of national and international importance for wildlife and support many species such as wading birds from both Britain and Europe, including Dunlin, Redshank and Ringed Plover.

Man-made open drains have long been a feature of Hull, as the city was built upon marshland and relies on its many drains to keep the land dry. The major surviving open land drains are Beverley and Barmston Drain (constructed in 1809) in the west of the city and Holderness Drain in the east. The Beverley and Barmston Drain empties into the River Hull approximately 1.5km upstream of the Humber while Holderness Drain (above) discharges into the Humber. The major and minor land drains provide important natural habitats for birds (Kingfishers are regularly seen) and support an interesting variety of wild plants including arrowhead, meadowsweet and skullcap. These bankside areas also provide a home for animals including harvest mice and water shrews.

Land use Hull is the largest settlement in East Yorkshire, it is not part of a greater conurbation, is largely self- contained and independent from the agricultural East Riding. The land use of the city is mainly urban and developed, nearly 80% of Hull can be classed as ‘built environment’ (man-made structures) (right). Underused industrial land, demolition sites and land awaiting development are common forms of open land in the city. Hull is a major commercial port and a large area of the city is occupied by dockland. There are areas of grassland (mostly neutral wet grassland), agricultural land, naturally vegetated urban land and industrial land, including railway lines and dockland which have ecological value and support Hull’s biodiversity. Most grassland in the city is semi- improved or improved, this includes land in use for agriculture (land on the eastern boundary adjacent to Bransholme) and areas used for recreation, such as public parks, sports pitches and golf courses. The open space that public parks provide in Hull is invaluable. A number of grand examples were developed in the Victorian period to provide welcome relief from urban life. These include Pearson Park, East Park, West Park and Pickering Park. Other grassland includes those associated with railways, waterways (above) and roads, such as grass verges, central reservations and roundabouts. On the western boundary (much of the land outside the administrative boundary of Hull but owned by the city) are two excellent examples of old permanent pastures, at Priory Meadows and Snuff Mill Fields. These have been maintained traditionally for over 100 years and are dominated by wet grassland and contain temporarily filled hollows, ponds and ditches. Less than 3% of the city comprises woodland.

Vistas As Hull is generally flat and has a low built form the extent of the visual influence of the city is limited to prominent man-made structures, such as the Croda Wind Turbine, the tower blocks of Orchard Park and the Garths, Hull Royal Infirmary (Anlaby Road), Kingston House, Brynmor Jones Library (University of Hull campus) and Sculcoates Chimney. Views from Hull include the Yorkshire Wolds, Holderness and across the Humber. The Wolds are a plateau of gently rolling chalkland dissected by steep-sided valleys which sweep round in a wide crescent from Flamborough Head to the Humber. The Wolds’ highest point (at 246 metres) is near Garrowby Hill, while on the coast at Bempton and Flamborough the cliffs rise up to 120 metres and a similar height is reached at Elloughton Wold less than 3 miles from the Humber. To the east of Hull, between the city and the North Sea coast is the gently undulating landscape of Holderness and its vast expanses of former saltmarshes (reclaimed since the 17th century) forming the flat and open Sunk Island and Cherry Cobb Sands. At the south eastern tip of Holderness is Spurn Point. This is a 6km long spindly peninsula of sand and shingle extending out into the Humber, formed by the erosion of the Holderness coast. It is formed by the natural phenomenon called the ‘Longshore Drift’ – a 250 year round cycle of erosion. This region from the village of Kilnsea to Spurn Point is now designated as a National Nature Reserve. To the south are high blue skies and open views across the Humber Estuary, including views of the clay pits and reedbeds at Far Ings National Nature Reserve on the southern bank of the river, the oil refinery at Salt End in the east and the impressive structure of the Humber Bridge to the west. The Humber Bridge (above) is the fifth longest single- span suspension bridge (at 2220 metres long) in the world, designed to cross the last major unbridged estuary in Britain and opened in 1981.

Connections Connections and access routes to Hull are important in creating perceptions of the city. The principal road access is the M62 motorway/A63 link road, which is one of the main east coast to west coast routes in northern England. It provides a link to the cities of Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds, as well as the rest of the country via the motorway network. The motorway itself ends several miles to the west of Hull and continues into the city via the A63 dual carriageway. The M62/A63 crosses an extensive area of low, flat farmland, with long views in all directions. The Humber Bridge, just to the west of Hessle, provides access to the south, principally to Grimsby and Immingham, which lie approximately 15 miles further down the Humber, and to Lincoln via the A15. The bridge provides dramatic views over the Humber estuary and to Hull. Another important route is the A1079 via Beverley and across the Wolds to York and the north. Hull’s port provides key east coast passenger ferry and trade links via the Humber and North Sea to Europe and the Baltic states. Rail access is principally from the west with lines from Doncaster and Selby converging at Gilberdyke then crossing the low, flat farmland to reach Hull. A secondary line follows the foot of the Wolds to Beverley and Bridlington then through the Wolds to Scarborough.

Archaeology

There is evidence of settlements within the Hull area from the Neolithic period onwards, including important Romano-British remains – particularly in North Hull and along the banks of the River Hull. A significant number of Roman and later prehistoric sites are known within Hull, particularly in north and east Hull; the Roman sites along the River Hull corridor form the equivalent of an extended small town, and are of major interest for Roman settlement in Holderness and the lower Hull Valley.

The historic core of the modern city is known still as the Old Town, and is built largely on alluvial warp or on reclaimed soils; the nature of these soils greatly assists the preservation of organic materials, such as wood and leather, and, consequently, the quality of archaeological deposits of medieval and post-medieval date within this area is exceptionally good and nationally significant. The entire area of the Old Town and its immediate surroundings within the City centre is incredibly rich in archaeological remains. There is existing evidence of and potential for the survival of substantial and important archaeological remains within and around the City Centre. Parts of both the medieval Town Wall and the historic Beverley Gate have been exposed and put on permanent display at the western end of Whitefriargate, and the line of the medieval defences and gates to the town have been marked out in coloured brickwork in the pedestrian areas.

On the east side of the River Hull, attention has been similarly drawn to the treatment and display of the nationally significant post-medieval defences: here, one corner of the late 17th- century Citadel, with a relocated sentry box, already exposed and placed on public display. whilst the former area of the Hull Citadel (a 30 acre / 12.1 hectare fortress on the east bank of the River Hull, constructed in the late 17th century) is a site of national importance. The southern third of the Citadel, together with Hull Castle and the South Blockhouse, constitute a single large Scheduled Monument, which is protected under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The rest of the Citadel, together with much of the Tudor military defences on the east bank of the River Hull, is protected under Supplementary Planning Guidance Note 27.

In addition to these central areas, a number of smaller outlying medieval settlements (e.g. Drypool, Marfleet, Sculcoates, and Sutton) now form part of the modern City of Hull

The rapid growth of the later 18th- and 19th-century town and port has also left us with an important industrial and maritime heritage, in the form of its extended network of docks, ship-repair facilities, locks, slipways, staithes, waterfronts and harbour architecture; some of these are of at least major regional importance. There is also an interesting and varied collection of warehouses and seed mills. Examples of boat wrecks are occasionally still recorded within the City (particularly on parts of the Humber foreshore). There is also a major legacy of Victorian public buildings, such as hospitals, prisons, Board Schools, and cemeteries.

Vestiges of 20th–century military archaeology still survive in some parts of the city. Hull was one of the most heavily bombed cities in the whole of Britain during the second world war; to commemorate and immortalise the suffering of the local people during lengthy bombing campaign, English Heritage designated the last surviving bombed building in the whole of Northern England as a Listed Building (the National Cinema on Beverley Road). The site was assessed by English Heritage in 1999-2000 and was identified as of national importance, equivalent to a scheduled monument. The whole site was Listed in 2007 for its historic interest as England’s only surviving WW2 bombed site with the substantial remains of a ruined building on it which is not a church or military building.

Survivals of Blitz ruins are surprisingly rare. Nationwide research by the Monument Protection Programme demonstrated that of all the hundreds of thousands of buildings damaged by aerial bombing throughout Britain, only a handful survive in anything like their historic bombed state. There are thought to be 13 churches surviving as bombed ruins, a medieval almshouse, a naval dockyard ropery and a naval hospital (ruinous in part), but secular or civilian buildings are even rarer, and the National Picture Theatre is now known to be the only civilian/secular blitzed building from WW2 to survive in Britain in anything like its historic blitzed condition.

Nearly all of the surviving blitzed ruins in England are in the south of the country. In the entire north of England, the only other two other examples beside the National Picture Theatre are the church of St. Martin-Le-Grand, Coney Street, York and St Luke's church, Liverpool. Furthermore St Martin’s has been extensively altered and partly rebuilt. In contrast to these churches, the National Picture Theatre survives in a more authentic condition. The latest research indicates that the National Picture Theatre is the least altered standing survival of a Blitzed building of any kind in Britain in a non military context. It therefore illustrates, uniquely well, the Second World War Blitz.

The fact that the building is a cinema further increases its historic resonance and national significance, as cinemas had an especially important wartime role as centres for news and entertainment, and for Government efforts to maintain public morale.

The importance of water in shaping the town

The Humber has always been a dynamic estuary, and its course has altered significantly over the last three millennia, particularly as sea-level has risen or fallen. Climate change is by no means a modern phenomenon, and parts of Hull have always been subject to periodic flooding: in many ways the history and development of Hull is intimately bound with man’s relationship with water, and in learning how to control and harness that resource. Formal recognition of that close special relationship can still be seen in the dual ceremonial role of the Lord Mayor of Hull, and the Admiral of the Humber; Hull has had the right to appoint its own Admiral since 1447 (a unique privilege), and, since about 1480 the local custom has been for the mayor to hold this office.

Hull sits in a classic wetland landscape at the mouth of the Lower Hull Valley, and much of this was characterised by marsh and creek systems until as late as the second half of the 18th century. The area occupied by what is now the Old Town was reclaimed by the Cistercian monks of Meaux Abbey, who artificially altered the course of the River Hull, and moved it some three-quarters of a mile to the east in the early 13th century. Similarly, parts of Bransholme and Sutton in North Hull were drained and reclaimed by them at much the same date: watercourses, such as the Foredyke, were to both drain this landscape, and to influence the future pattern of streets which were to develop later around them. Hull’s first freshwater supply was also first established in the 13th century, with the excavation of Derringham Dyke, and the course of this was to shape the later alignment of one of the City’s future arterial routes – Spring Bank (so named because it respected this watercourse).

In the Roman period the Humber foreshore lay over a half mile to the north of its modern position; high tide level then would have fallen about half-way up what is now Spring Bank. Hence, all of the area to the south of this (including the future Old Town) would then have been under water. For that reason, most of the prehistoric and Romano-British settlements in the City occupied the slightly higher ground in North and East Hull: even a difference in height of just 2 or 3 metres above sea-level was sufficient to support seasonal or permanent settlements. These early sites favoured raised mounds or the better drained slopes of the valley sides, where the settlements would have stood proud of the surrounding blanket bog and marsh. In the later 1st and early 2nd centuries AD the Romans established a series of small hamlets and farmsteads in North Hull, often sited in the bends of the River Hull; these extended northwards from what is now Clough Road to Kingswood and beyond – forming an extended ribbon development along the river. In a wetland landscape it was much easier to travel and to provision these settlements by using the river, than it was to try to create a road system. Other parts of the valley floor would have been covered by scrub and alder carr; so, it was not until the clearance and reclamation of these areas in the late Saxon and Viking periods that the pattern of small villages, such as Sculcoates, Drypool, Newland, Marfleet and Sutton, began to emerge. Though now subsumed within the boundaries of the modern City, each of these early medieval settlements still has its own distinctive character, and most still have recognisable historic cores.

The medieval roads leading northwards and westwards from the Old Town were subject to frequent flooding, particularly in the autumn and winter; though built on raised causeways, they were frequently breached and washed away – making journeys by road both hazardous and unpredictable. Early travellers remarked on the inhospitable nature of much of the surrounding marsh – a forsaken and fenny country. As a result, much of the commerce was carried routinely by water until a group of wealthy freeholders began to systematically drain much of what is now North Hull in the later 18th century; this was the start of a lengthy process which would gradually reclaim this marshy wilderness, and eventually enable the construction of the modern estates of Greatfield, Noddle Hill, Sutton Fields, Sutton Park, Ennerdale and Orchard Park. Further drainage at the end of the 18th and the first half of the 19th centuries is represented by the construction of the Beverley and Barmston Drain, the Holderness Drain, the Setting Dike and the Cottingham Drain; these various drainage improvements were to lead to much better control of water levels in the surrounding landscape, and to facilitate the expansion and development not only of older villages such as Sculcoates, Drypool and Marfleet, but also to enable the development of much of the 19th century areas of East and West Hull. The water drainage system influenced the layout of many streets and suburbs, as did numerous 18th century field enclosure boundaries, and the memory of a great number of these features is still preserved in the modern topography of the city.

Hull’s ability to control the management of its watery setting proved a major blessing during the English Civil War: it was able to withstand two Royalist sieges in 1642-3 by a combination of cutting the flood banks outside the town (and thus flooding the surrounding countryside), and continuing to provision the town by sea. The seamanship and skill of its sailors were legendary, but the fast-moving tides and shifting sand-banks of the estuary posed a constant hazard and a dangerous working environment. Hull’s Trinity House is first mentioned in the mid 14th century, but in the 1450s its character was to change substantially, when it became a guild of shipmasters and mariners, and began to take the lead in regulating shipping on the Humber. In 1512 the Guild decided to assign competent pilots to bring ships in and out of Hull safely; this was one of the first examples anywhere in Britain of a port taking the initiative to safeguard navigation within its waters in this way – and it was a model which many others were later to copy.

The shape of the Old Town and the development of its docks

The Old Town was bounded to its south and east respectively by the Humber and the River Hull; the alignment of its north-western side was determined by the original course of the river – the Auld Hull – and that alignment is still preserved today in the main axis of Queen’s Gardens (the former Queen’s Dock).

The sinuous shape of the High Street mirrors that of the modern River Hull, for a very good reason. At the end of the 13th century the eastern edge of High Street formed the quayside, and the river then lay immediately to its east; during the course of the next 400 years the west bank of the Hull was pushed some 80m to the east, as land was steadily reclaimed from the river to create space for new wharves, long linear warehouses and distinctive staiths (short narrow lanes) running east from the street to the river. The former presence of other old watercourses running through the Old Town are similarly preserved in the layout of streets such as Lowgate, or the curving line of Land of Green Ginger / Trinity House Lane / King Street / Sewer Lane. By the later 18th century the growth of the port was such that the Old Town was densely overcrowded, but still largely confined within its medieval Town Walls; the old Town Gates were too narrow to cope with the volume of carts which now wanted to pass through them daily. Equally disturbing was that ships were being forced to lie at anchor out in the river, sometimes for days, before they could land at any of the waterfronts, to load or unload cargoes: unless it could increase the number of staiths and waterfronts, it would not be able to expand any further. The answer was to demolish the old Town Walls and Gates, and to construct a circuit of new docks in those areas previously occupied by the medieval Town Ditch. Between 1776 and 1829 three new docks were excavated around the northern and western sides of the Old Town, thereby creating a one-way passage from the Hull to the Humber: after unloading its cargo at a waterfront on the Hull, a ship could pass through the Queen’s Dock into the Junction Dock, and then via the Humber Dock, back out into the Humber. This greatly eased the port’s congestion.

As Hull’s shipping continued to grow during the 19th century, additional docks were added to the east and west of the Old Town, extending along the Humber foreshore, and also developing the east bank of the Hull. Those to the west were the Railway Dock (1846), the Albert Dock (1869), William Wright Dock (1880), and St Andrew’s Dock (1883 and 1897); to the east included the Victoria Dock (1850), and Alexandra Dock (1885). The following century was to see the network of docks extended even further, with the construction of Riverside Quay (1907), the King George V Dock (1914), the Queen Elizabeth Dock (1969) and the recent deepwater ABP / P&O freight and ferry terminals off Corporation Road.

During the 19th century and early 20th century, Hull also became one of Europe’s largest migratory ports. During that time, it was common practice for European transmigrants to take a ticket to Hull, and then a combined ticket from Hull to Liverpool by rail and thence to America or Canada. A Ph.D. paper by Nicolas J Evans (‘Indirect Passage from Europe – transmigration via the UK, 1836-1914’) states that “The number of migrants arriving at Hull increased from under 1,000 in the late 1830s to over 300,000 in the period 1905 – 1909, with 100,000 arriving in the year 1907 alone. The number of migrants arriving was mirrored by the provision of the tools designed to facilitate their movement through the city with a degree of ease and speed not seen at any other port in Britain. At each stage…, as the number of migrants arriving increased, so did the number of quayside innovations designed to improve the efficiency with which the port handled this complex facet of maritime activity.

Though London served as the main port of entry for the millions of European immigrants entering the UK, it was the Humber ports of Hull and Grimsby that handled the majority of the transmigrants travelling via the UK - because the journey from the Humber to Liverpool was the shortest route in terms of time and distance to travel across the country. Of the five million European migrants who did arrive in the country between 1836 and 1914, over three million (or sixty per cent), did so via the Humber ports of Hull and Grimsby.” However, not all completed the journey, and a sizeable number settled in Hull and other parts of Britain.

The fishing and whaling industries

Hull was already a major fishing port by the beginning of the 14th century: in addition to the large quantities of fish landed by its own fishing fleet, between 40 and 40% of the imports coming into the port on foreign vessels comprised herrings, cod, salmon and other fish. By the early 15th century Hull fishermen had started to exploit the well-stocked Icelandic waters – this marks the onset of Hull’s deep sea fisheries off Iceland, which she continued to exploit until the Cod War of 1975-6.

Hull became a major trawling centre from the 1840s onwards. This was helped by a number of factors: • The advent of the railways allowed fish landed in the port to be dispatched and quickly delivered to parts of the kingdom which had previously been out of reach • The introduction of the use of ice for packaging fish kept it much fresher, whilst in transit • The discovery in 1843 of a productive new fishing ground, the Great Silver Pit, which lay only about 50 miles from Hull. • It’s success caused trawlermen to move to Hull from other fishing ports, such as Ramsgate and Brixham, in search of work

The medieval fish market (or shambles) was sited in Fish Street in the Old Town, but by the 17th century it had moved to the market place, and from 1805 to Humber Street. By 1888 it had moved to the docks, and in 1895 a wholesale fish market was held at Paragon Station – showing how much fish was then being moved by rail to other parts of Britain. In the second half of the 19th century the growing volume of fish being landed in the port led to the rise of fish-processing industries, which at first were concentrated around the Albert Dock area. By 1928 a wholesale fish market was held near St Andrew’s Dock, and this and the environs of Hessle Road increasingly became a focal point for the fishing and fish processing industries.

The growth in trawling in the 1840s and 1850s led to the development of a fish-curing industry. Smoke-houses were once a familiar feature of parts of Hull associated with the latter; most have now been demolished, but remains of a handful can still be seen, mainly to the north of the extant and former western docks. These days fish-processing is still practised by a small number of firms, but the fish has usually been landed in other ports.

The town’s whaling industry began in the late 16th or early 17th centuries when Hull seamen developed the Trinity Island whale fishery, but it gained a new lease of life in the 1760s when Hull boats began to exploit the whaling grounds off Greenland. The main products were oil and whalebone. During the course of the next seventy-five years, Hull was to become one of the largest whaling ports in Britain – with the peak of its growth occurring between 1815 and 1825: by that date, one in five ships involved in this trade was based in Hull. The Greenland waters were massively over-fished, and after 1822 the trade shifted to new grounds off the Davis Strait; a little over a decade later, these too had been overexploited, and there were too few whales left to support the industry, which rapidly declined thereafter.

Whale carcases were often processed onboard ship, but a number of whaling yards and “whale manufactories” sprang up on the east bank of the river, in what is now the area of Cleveland Street, but which was then called the Greenland Yards off Church Street; these specialised in making a variety of articles and domestic goods out of whalebone.

Shipbuilding and ship repairs In the medieval period all crafts relating to the construction, outfitting and repair of ships and boats – activities which were a fundamental part of life in any major port – were based within the Old Town, but the opening years of the 17th century were to see the establishment of new shipyards to the north of the town, on the west bank of the Hull; the first of these was opened in 1607 by the Blaydes family, but others were to follow in the 1630s. By the 18th century the industry had spread northwards along Wincolmlee, and additional yards and dry docks were later to be established along the east bank of the Hull.

By the end of the 18th century Hull had become one of the three leading English ports that were engaged in shipbuilding (in terms of the number of ships being built annually); however, because the size of the vessels which could be launched into the Hull was restricted by the width and depth of the river, it could not match its major commercial rivals in terms of their tonnage. Nevertheless, some medium-sized naval ships (such as the 80-gun Humber, launched in 1693, or the collier Bethia of 1784, later converted into the better- known HMS Bounty) were built in the town, and larger vessels were sometimes built by the same families at nearby yards, such as at Hessle Cliff, or Paull.

The demand for wooden ships was in decline by the 1840s, but, fortunately, the new fashion for iron and steam ships gave the shipbuilding industry a major boost, and by the 1850s there were eleven shipbuilding firms operating here, employing 623 people.

Even more important in the life of the port than shipbuilding were ship repair and ship provisioning; these provided employment for a very wide range of craftsmen and tradesmen.

Townscape Types and Character Areas in Hull

Analysis of Hull based on land use and age of development identified 19 townscape types. They are identified by physical boundaries (main roads, railways, drains, open spaces) and by predominant age and types of development. This has resulted in 58 distinct character areas within Hull. The characteristics of each type are described and local character areas within each type are identified. The locations of the townscape types are shown on a map. More detailed, local analysis can be undertaken e.g. if a neighbourhood plan were to be progressed.

Table 1: Townscape Types and Character Areas in Hull Townscape Type Townscape Character Areas 1. Medieval Core A. Old Town 2. 18th Century Expansion A. New Town 3. 19th, 20th and 21st Century City A. Jameson Street/King Edward Street/Freetown Centre Development – mixed uses but Way/Ferensway/Prospect Centre/Princes predominantly commercial Quay/St Stephens/Hull College/Marina 4. Historic Village Core A. Sutton A. St. Andrews B. Newington C. Albert Avenue D. Botanic 5. Pre World War 1 Terraces (1800- E. Dukeries/Sunnybank/Chanterlands Avenue 1919) F. Newland Avenue G. Sculcoates H. Mersey Street I. New Bridge Road 6. Pre World War 1 Suburbs (1800- A. Avenues/Pearson Park 1919) B. Garden Village

A. Gipsyville 7. Interwar Council Estates (1919- B. North Hull Estate 1945) C. Preston Road D. Old Bilton Grange A. Anlaby High Road B. Derringham/Willerby Road/Wold Road/Priory Road C. Bricknell Avenue/Fairfax Avenue 8. Interwar Private Suburbs (1919- D. Beverley High Road 1945) E. Chamberlain Road F. James Reckitt Avenue/Gillshill Road/Ings Road G. Holderness High Road/Broadway/Southcoates Lane A. Boothferry Estate 9. Post World War 2 Council Estates B. Longhill (traditional) (mainly 1945-1960) C. New Bilton Grange D. Greatfield A. Orchard Park 10. Post World War 2 Council Estates B. North Bransholme (non-traditional) (mainly 1960-1980) C. Bransholme D. Ings Estate 11. Interwar & Post World War 2 A. Porter Street/Thornton Estate Council Inner City Redevelopment B. Londesborogh Street (1930-39 & 1955-90) C. Bridlington Avenue A. Downfield Avenue/Compass Road/Stanbury 12 Post World War 2 Private Suburbs Road (1945-1980) B. Sutton Park C. Fleet Estate A. Summergroves B. Kingswood 13. Post 1980 Private Estates C. Howdale Road/Salthouse Road D. Victoria Dock 14. Pre World War 1 Industrial (1800- A. Wincolmlee 1919) B. DrypoolWilmington/Stoneferry A. National Avenue 15. Interwar Industrial (1919-1945) B. Clough Road A. Hessle Road 16. Post World War 2 Industrial B. Sutton Fields C. Hedon Road A. Albert/William Wright Docks 17. Docks B. Alexandra Dock C. Queen Elizabeth/King George Docks A. St Andrew’s Quay 18. Post 1980 Business and Retail B. Priory Park Parks C. Kingswood A. North of Kingswood 19. Agricultural Land B. East of Bransholme C. East of Greatfield

1. Medieval Core Generic Description: Mixed use commercial, retail, leisure and residential area. Layout is generally determined by historic street pattern with varying widths of street, dependant on period of development and use at the time of development. The built form has buildings of a variety of scales dependant on period of development and importance of the buildings. Older buildings tend to be brick, later replaced with stone and more modern materials latterly. Character Areas: Old Town*

2. 18th Century Expansion Generic Description: The first substantial development to occur outside Hull's Town Walls, this area is characterised by the rectilinear street layout. The built form remaining from that period consists primarily of brick terraces of houses (many with partial basements and use of attics), along with public buildings and planned open space of Kingston Square. Character Areas: New Town*

3. 19th, 20th and 21st Century City Centre Development Generic Description: (a) Late 19th century wide new streets developed with grander commercial and public buildings, often stone or glazed, e.g. King Edward Street, Jameson Street, Alfred Gelder Street. (b) Some continuation of this after WW1 e.g. Ferensway. (c) Post World War 2 redevelopment following bombing e.g.Paragon Street, and purpose built covered shopping centres e.g. Prospect Centre, Princes Quay and St Stephens. Mainly aimed at retail and related uses with considerable provision for cars. Modern buildings with limited architectural detailing and tend to be lower in height. Early postwar buildings often brick, more recent are concrete, glass, steel. Character Areas: City Centre

4. Historic Village Cores Generic Description: Rural village settlements incorporated into the city as it expanded. These areas have retained their historic character, distinctly different from the surrounding areas and subsequent developments. Character Areas: Sutton*, Marfleet*

5. Pre World War I Terraces (1800 – 1919) Generic Description: Smaller, typically terraced houses built between 1800 and 1919. These areas are characterised by high density, predominantly 2 storey brick terraced houses. The layout is typically in the form of grid arranged streets, and (with the exception of The Dukeries) small pedestrian ‘court’ housing at right angles to the houses fronting the street. Communal back-alleys (‘tenfoots’) provide rear service access. Variations are subtle and relate to whether properties have a front garden and/or bay window, the level of architectural detailing, if they have a back yard or garden, and on the internal space standards. Character Areas:, Hawthorn Avenue/St. Georges Road, Albert Avenue, Dukeries, Newland Avenue, Sculcoates Lane, Abbey Street, Mersey Street/ Westcott Street, New Bridge Road.

6. Pre World War I Suburbs (1800 – 1919) Generic Description: Larger housing built between 1800 and 1919. These areas have larger properties in more spacious plots with front and rear gardens. Streets tend to be tree-lined and public open space within or in proximity to the development was also a feature. The densities, layout and type of housing built vary considerably between the character areas. The properties tend to have distinctive architectural styles and features. Internally, the properties tend have generous space standards. Character Areas: Boulevard*, Coltman Street*, Avenues*, Newland Park*, Garden Village*, Anlaby Park*

7. Interwar Council Estates (1919 – 1945) Generic Description: These areas consist of predominantly two-storey semi-detached and terraced housing with front and back gardens. The areas typically have good space standards, both internally and externally, although minimal architectural detailing was incorporated to the buildings. The areas were typically laid out on a pattern-adapted-grid network of wide streets, and sometimes including small open spaces and grass verges. Some elements of garden city principles were incorporated into the layouts. Character Areas: Gipsyville, Derringham Bank, North Hull, Preston Road, Old Bilton Grange

8. Interwar Private Suburbs (1919 – 1945) Generic Description: Predominantly detached and semi-detached medium density housing, provided with front and back gardens (adopting some garden city principles), good space standards internally and externally, with more architectural detailing than public housing from the same era. Typically loosely laid out on a network of wide roads, including some cul- de-sac and small greens. Parking tends to be on-plot. Character Areas: Willerby Road, Chanterlands Avenue, Bricknell Avenue, Desmond Avenue/ Welwyn Park Avenue, James Reckitt Avenue/Gillshill Road, Southcoates Lane, Broadway

9. Post World War II Council Estates – traditional build (1945 – 1960) Generic Description: Predominantly brick semi-detached housing with blocks of terraced housing. Housing is typically medium density, with front and back gardens (adopting some garden city principles). Normally laid out on a network of wide streets, with some cul-de-sac and small greens. There are good space standards internally and externally. The buildings have minimal architectural detailing. Car parking is either on-plot, on-street or within small parking courts. Character Areas: Boothferry Estate, Priory Road, Grammar School Road, Spring Cottage, Longhill, New Bilton Grange, Greatfield

10. Post World War II Council Estates – non - traditional build (1960 – 1980) Generic Description: Predominantly small blocks of terraced housing and low/medium/high- rise apartment blocks of non-traditional materials and/ or construction. Housing is normally provided at medium densities overall but with localised variations. Houses are typically provided with small front and back gardens, while higher flat blocks tend to be set in open space. Many of the areas use Radburn urban design principles (with roads and car parking at the periphery of pedestrianised housing areas). Often these areas present a bleak perspective with poor public realm. Character Areas: Orchard Park, North Bransholme, Bransholme, Ings Estate

11. Interwar and Post World War II Council Inner Centre Redevelopment (1930-1939 & 1955-1990) Generic Description: Pre-war areas comprise relatively high density brick terraced houses and small blocks of flats on early slum clearance sites. Post-war, these areas usually reflect the era in which they were built following slum clearances. Most are 1960s/ 70s and typified by a grid type layout of terraced houses with first floor bedsits above pedestrian passageways. Houses tend to have front and back gardens, both with access to the street. The front of the properties tends to face onto pedestrian areas with greenspaces, while vehicular access and parking areas to the rear of properties. Pedestrian permeability tends to have been reduced by closing of the walkways underneath bedsits which frequently are vacant. Sometimes these areas present a bleak perspective with poor public realm. Character Areas: Porter Street/Thornton, Redbourne Street/Constable Street, Selby Street/ Dairycoates/Newington Street, Walton Street, New George Street, Londesborough Street, Grosvenor Street, Queens Road, Fountain Road/ Bridlington Avenue, Sculcoates Lane, Barnsley Street, Victor Street

12. Post World War II Private Suburbs (1945 – 1980) Generic Description: This type of development is typically found on what were the outskirts of the city to the north and the east. It consists of predominantly semi-detached housing and detached housing. Some developments do contain elements of terraced housing and there is a limited amount of low-rise flat development, typically above shops or commercial space. The density of these developments is commonly low-medium. Houses are typically provided with front and back gardens, good space standards externally, subtle architecture with limited detailing and an emphasis on simplicity and function, normally laid out on a flowing network of connected streets and cul-de-sac. Car parking for houses is normally provided on-plot either on drives or in garages. Car parking for apartments is normally provided in communal parking/garage courts. Character Areas: Haworth Park, Sutton Park, Fleet Estate

13. Post 1980 Private Estates Generic Description: These areas typically consist of predominantly detached and semi- detached housing set on winding and cul-de-sac roads and typically low density. The housing is spatially economic both internally and externally in terms of the plots and also in terms of public realm. Car parking tends to be on plot. The more recent developments in these areas have begun to include medium-rise apartments and terraces. Densities appear to be increasing, and greater pedestrian permeability is increasingly becoming an issue. Character Areas: Summergroves, Kingswood, Howdale Road, Victoria Dock

14. Pre World War I Industrial (1800 – 1919) Generic Description: The built form of these areas is varied between original brick built premises (which often display architectural character and detailing), and more modern frame-built structures. The scale of premises is equally diverse, as is the range of employment and business uses. The historic road layouts remain in place which can cause issues around parking and servicing. Character Areas: Wincolmlee, Drypool, Wilmington, Stoneferry,

15. Interwar Industrial (1919 – 1945) Generic Description: Original development consisted of large employment uses, in proximity to housing to allow workers to access the site. Character Areas: National Avenue, Clough Road

16. Post World War II Industrial Generic Description: Industrial development typically consists of metal-clad one-storey shed developments of little architectural merit. Sizeable office areas include business parks with large areas of surface parking. Character Areas: Hessle Road, Argyle Street, Temple Street, Sutton Fields, Drypool, Hedon Road

17. Docks Generic Description: Working docks remain within the city; used as commercial docks and for passenger/ vehicle ferries. Mostly located in the east of the city. Working docks in the west of the city tend to be underused at present. Character Areas: Albert/William Wright Docks, Alexandra Dock, King George/Queen Elizabeth Docks

Also worthy of note are the reused docks within the city: Queens Gardens is an in filled dock, as is the Victoria Dock residential development. Princes Quay shopping centre and the Marina are in the former Princes, Humber and Railway docks where water and dock features remain apparent.

18. Post 1980 Business and Retail Parks Generic Description: Commercial areas, typically based around large expanses of surface car parking. Built form tends to be large, clad buildings with some additions to add interest and significant advertisements Character Areas: St Andrew’s Quay, Priory Park, Kingswood

19. Agricultural land Generic Description: land used for crops or grazing Character Areas: North of Kingswood, East of Bransholme, East of Greatfield

The following townscape types have been identified however they are not identified on the townscape map as it makes the map too complicated.

Estuary, River and Drain Banks Generic Description: Walkways alongside water corridors in the city. Includes: (a) the Humber frontage, which where accessible tends to be hard landscaping; as is (b) the Hull south of Stoneferry Bridge. North of this, the Hull has a green bank, much of which can be walked along and forms an important natural break and green corridor in the city; and (c) the drain banks, which are commonly grassed with undergrowth in places. Character Areas: Humber Estuary, River Hull, Barmston Drain, Holderness Drain

Urban Greenspace Generic Description: Includes (a) formal parks, gardens, cemeteries and allotments; (b) other greenspace such as playing fields, golf courses and informal open space; (c) natural areas such as wood, meadow, heath and marsh; and (d) derelict land, which may be awaiting redevelopment. Character Areas: Pickering Park, West Park, Pearson Park, East Park; Western and General Cemeteries, Northern Cemetery, Eastern Cemetery, Hedon Road Cemetery; Costello playing fields, University sports ground, Oak Road playing fields, Bude Road/ Ennerdale playing fields, Rockford Fields, Alderman Kneeshaw recreation ground, Greatfield playing fields, Sutton Park golf course; derelict land at St. Andrews Dock and Kingswood.

Radial Roads including Retail Centres Generic Description: Main radial roads leading in to the city centre. Inner sections are relatively wide and lined by late 19th/ early 20th century 3 storey brick terraces, often with architectural detailing. Most were built as substantial houses for the well-off, but many are now in use as small local shops or divided into low-rent flats. About 2 miles out the radial roads become dual carriageways, typically developed in the interwar period, tree lined and well landscaped. They are lined by large semi-detached and detached houses with large gardens, with small groups of local shops at main road junctions. Character Areas: Hessle Road*, Anlaby Road, Spring Bank, Princes Avenue*, Newland Avenue, Chanterlands Avenue, Beverley Road*, Holderness Road*

Estate Retail Centres/ Major Community Uses Generic Description: Local and district shopping centres in postwar residential areas, usually developed on council housing estates and sometimes on private estates. They tend to be away from main roads and are sometimes pedestrianised and inward-looking. They typically have an adjoining car park and their architectural style is generally functional. Major community uses include facilities such as the hospitals, universities and the prison. Character Areas: Bethune Avenue, Ellerburn Avenue, Grandale, North Point, Grampian Way, Savoy Road, Shannon Road, Greenwich Avenue, Annandale Road shopping centres; Hull Royal Infirmary, University of Hull, Hull Prison.

* Conservation Area Character Appraisals exist for these areas (Old Town is divided into 3 separate areas; Holderness Road has 2)

Local styles of buildings, and the use of building materials

The lack of readily available building stone within the area meant that any stone used had to be brought some considerable distance, thereby increasing its costs. As a result, very few buildings in Hull were built wholly of stone, before the coming of the railways made its use more feasible; there are documentary references to a tiny number of medieval stone buildings, but these were clearly the exception, rather than the rule.

Before 1500 the bulk of the houses in the town would have been built largely of timber, using post-and-truss construction. The major uprights in the walls would have been of timber, but the wall panels in between would have been made of clay mixed with other materials, or, in some cases, would have been infilled with brick. The best surviving example from this period is no. 5 Scale Lane – a jettied building which may date back to the 1420s; a large part of another timber building, from 85 Queen Street, has been reconstructed in the Hull and East Riding Museum, and dates to the 14th century. Many of the earlier houses would have been roofed with thatch, but most public buildings and the houses of the wealthier sections of society would have had houses roofed with fired-clay roofing tiles. Ceramic building materials had been introduced into Britain by the Romans, but went out of use with their departure in the 5th century. The manufacture of clay roofing tiles was reintroduced into this area in c. 1150, and standard peg tiles were made in their thousands in Beverley and other places until at least 1700; thereafter, they were gradually replaced by pantiles (which copied the shape of contemporary Dutch and Flemish tiles). The first record of pantiles (imported from Holland) being used in East Yorkshire is for the rebuilding of the Master’s House at the Charterhouse in 1663.

Brick manufacture had clearly been reintroduced into many of the North European communities adjoining the North Sea and Baltic coasts by about 1200, as there are surviving churches and public buildings built almost entirely of brick, of very early 13th-century date, in several of the Hanseatic towns of North Germany and the Netherlands. Although these are amongst the earliest examples yet known from Europe, the use of brick in English buildings is found in the mid 13th century in East Anglia, and by at least the 1280s in the Humber region; it is probably no coincidence that the fashion for using brick for the construction of elaborate public buildings and wealthy merchant houses is found at an early date in many of the ports and towns on the Continent with which Hull and the East Anglian ports of Yarmouth, Norwich and the Wash (e.g. Lynn and Boston) were trading.

Brick was certainly in use in Hull by c. 1285, as the east end of Holy Trinity was constructed largely of this material. By 1302 the Town Corporation had its own brickyard, and the records of its production during the first half of the 14th century still survive: in most years it was producing upwards of 90,000 bricks – many of which were probably used in the construction of Hull’s public buildings, and later its Town Walls. Hull’s medieval churches, its Guildhall, its gaol, and its Town Walls and Gates, all incorporated large quantities of brick: it was a principal building material, though stone was often used sparingly as distinctive detail for the surrounds of doors, window jambs and lintels, pinnacles, corbels, battlements, and occasionally for buttresses. An excellent example of this is provided by Holy Trinity Church, but the fashion was also used in other buildings within the Lower Hull Valley (e.g. at Beverley and Hedon). This is a very distinctive sub-regional tradition, and gave medieval and early post-medieval Hull a very different appearance from that of York, or any of its contemporaries in West and North Yorkshire.

Nor was the medieval use of brick confined solely to public buildings. Documentary sources show that many of the wealthier burgesses of the town had brick houses built for them; excavation has also occasionally come across examples of such brick buildings. Far commoner in the later Middle Ages was the use of low brick sills to bear the weight of timber superstructures, and the use of brick in the construction of hearths and chimneys. By the 17th century, all-brick buildings were increasingly replacing timber houses, and the town would have been dominated by brick structures by c. 1800.

Continental influences (and, particularly, those of the Low Countries) were by no means restricted to simply copying the use of ceramic building materials. The use of curving (or “Dutch-shaped”) gables is evident in the Old House in Dagger Lane (demolished in 1943), and also in the Master’s House at The Charterhouse; those two examples are of 17th- century date, but there are later examples in houses in Salisbury Street, and in a row of shops on Princes Avenue. One of the commonest forms of gable used in the Netherlands is the stepped gable (trapgevel), or crow-stepped gable, and a 19th-century illustration shows the outline of such a gable picked out in decorative plaster on the end-wall of no. 1 Market Place. Several examples within the town have now been demolished, but good examples survive at the former Malton Street school and the former Presbyterian church schoolroom, Holderness Road.

The frontages of some of the Old Town’s best-known buildings of the second half of the 17th century feature elaborately decorated brickwork – with the detail picked out in stone - typical of the Artisan Mannerist tradition; this is a style of building which can be found on both sides of the North Sea, but some of the best parallels for the Hull buildings can be seen in the towns of the North Netherlands, and it is likely that it is these models which provided the influence for our own buildings. Documentary sources show that a bricklayer from Amsterdam was working in Hull during the 1640s, and this helps to demonstrate how ideas about the use of ornate brick designs, coupled with selective stone detailing, could spread across the North Sea. The most elaborate example of this style surviving in Hull is Wilberforce House, a merchant house dating to the 1660s; similar detailing can be found at Crowle’s House (1664), and both buildings are attributed to William Catlyn (1628-1709), who was the foremost bricklayer working in Hull in the second half of the 17th century. Catlyn was also responsible for the construction of the Master’s House and chapel at the Charterhouse (1663 and 1673, respectively), refurbishing the old Guildhall (in 1681-2), and oversaw the building of the Market Cross (1682); whilst many of these structures have now gone, elements such as the curving gables at the Master’s House show clearly that he was well aware of contemporary Dutch architecture. Other buildings which incorporated Artisan Mannerist designs include the frontage of Ye Olde White Harte (c.1660), Etherington House, the rear of 41 High Street, and the former Coach and Horses Inn (9 Mytongate).

In the 18th century one of the most prominent merchant dynasties to have strong links on either side of the North Sea was the Pease family, who played a major role in the merchant community of first Amsterdam, and later Rotterdam; their warehouses, built in 1745 and 1760, still stand alongside the River Hull, and are clear examples of the strong connections between the two countries. Another direct Low Countries influence on local building traditions can be seen in the form of “tumbled gables”: the edges of the gable have been finished with triangular wedges of brickwork (known as “tumbling”), to give a smooth finish to a straight gable, without adding a brick or stone coping. Examples of these can be seen all over the Humber region.

Other direct examples of Dutch connections can be seen in the black ledger stones (bearing deeply incised lettering and armorial displays) with which Holy Trinity church is paved; the town’s Port Books record the import of gravestones from the Netherlands in the 17th and early 18th centuries, and these examples can be paralleled in Dutch city churches. Clinkaerts or ‘clinkers’ (small yellow bricks) imported from Holland and used for paving floors and yards are another example. Imported clinkers were used to pave the now demolished Market Cross in Hull when it was rebuilt in 1679. A small sample, arranged in herring-bone fashion, also survives in a small yard at Wilberforce House, as do a number incorporated into a hearth within the house that may represent a re-use of the original bricks.

Dotted throughout Hull’s urban area, and some surrounding towns and villages, can be found one of Hull’s most iconic symbols: the cream-painted telephone box or kiosk. The cream livery is for the city’s independent telephone company. Hull Corporation was granted a licence under the Telegraph Act 1902 to operate a municipal telephone system, the only area of the United Kingdom not under the Post Office monopoly before the system was privatised in 1999. A variety of cream kiosks survive in Hull, including the iconic K6 designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott in 1936, and the increasingly nationally rare late 1960s K8 designed by Bruce Martin.

CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES

The character of most built development in the City by and large reflects the times in which it was built rather than any distinctive local building traditions. In addition to cream telephone boxes a small number of characteristics have been identified that can be considered to be locally distinctive.

A number of recent developments have been built, of both traditional and modern styles, which reflect these characteristics. Such city wide characteristics should be considered early in the design stage along with local and specific site characteristics.

ROBUST & INNOVATIVE ENGINEERING STRUCTURES

Hull has a long tradition of major architectural & engineering structures impacting on the cities form or skyline. Medieval Churches, the 16th century Citadel & earlier castle began this feature which grew in the 18th & 19th centuries with the construction of docks built outside the line of the City Walls. Alongside these came the associated bridges, warehouses, cranes & derricks.

The 20th century has contributed with highway flyovers, tidal defences, the surge barrier, retail developments such as Princes Quay and commercial developments like the ARCO building at Priory Park. The Deep on land claimed from the Humber in the 19th Century and the Stadium continue this tradition in 2 Iconic buildings.

CURVED ROOFS, DOMES, ARCHES & ROUNDED CORNERS

Many traditional domes enhance the skyline in the City Centre but smaller examples are often local landmarks. Paragon Station’s curved roofline is distinctive but early & late 20th century examples exist, particularly significant retail and commercial developments on radial roads. Rounded corners to buildings are a distinctive local feature rather than chamfered splays or setbacks and such curved motifs are often echoed in surrounding paving patterns.

TREE LINED AVENUES

Examples of tree lined avenues exist in parks & gardens but predominantly these exist along the everyday residential streets within Hull. With relatively little public open space these street trees and grass verges also provide important green links and can be significant landmarks. The earliest are in decline & showing signs of age but many others survive and flourish. The best new developments incorporate these and many are included in the Kingswood Masterplan

DOUBLE HEIGHT BAY WINDOWS

Providing light and views to both narrow terraced streets and later tree lined developments a wide variety of designs existing enriching even otherwise plain buildings

QUALITY BOUNDARY TREATMENTS

There is a rich tradition of masonry walls and metal railings to boundaries regardless of property size, status or tenure. Robustly detailed they exhibit considerable variety and often in themselves can identity particular streets or communities.

SLATE ROOFS, MULTICOLOURED BRICKWORK AND STONE DETAILING

Hipped roofs are very common with very steep pitched gables to some areas being distinctive. Whilst the quality of some modern buildings is varied there are many examples of contrasting masonry detailing going far beyond simple Victorian precedents.

ROBUST STREETSCAPE

A limited palette of colours and materials has developed for quality areas incorporating various grey / blue grey bricks or setts , buff paving, white blanc de bierges & granite and red or brown brindle brickwork. Yorkstone paving with granite setts are traditional, multicoloured patterned brick & concrete slabs can appear dated but at their best have more subtle changes of colour & are simple and robust in design. Only a few types of bollard, barriers & bins are used and again the best are simple and robust.

Legend − 1 Medieval Core 20 2 18th Century Expansion

3 Post WW2 City Centre Redevelopment 20 16 4 Historic Village Cores

5 Pre WW1 Terraces (1800 - 1914) 13 18 20 6 Pre WW1 Suburbs (1800 - 1914) 15

13 Docks 15 16 7

8 Pre WW1 Industrial (1800 - 1914) 15 10 15 9 4 12 9 Interwar Council Estates (1918 - 1939) 13 16 21 10 Interwar Private Estates (1918 - 1939) 20 17 15 11 Interwar Industrial (1918 - 1939) 19 10 Post WW2 Council Estates (1945 - 1980) 15 12 12 (traditional) 10 6 15 Post WW2 Council Estates (1945 - 1980) 10 13 (non traditional) 5 5 17 5 10 5 21 12 16 8 14 Post WW2 Council Inner City Redevelopment 6 9 12 15 15 6 5 15 Post WW2 Private Estates (1945 - 1980) 6 10 21 8 14 12 10 5 12 16 Post 1980 Private Estates 11 5 14 14 10 5 21 8 17 10 14 20 17 Post WW2 Industrial (1945 - 1980) 17 4 9 16 14 14 1818 Post 1980 Fringe Business, Industry and Retail 5 10 2 5 17 7 3 19 River Hull 21 1 10 16 Urban Greenspace/Undeveloped Land 5 14 20 5 21 Radial Roads and Retail Centres 14 9 7 16 21 9 Townscape Types in Hull 12 5 17 20

16 18

18 20 Victorian Courts

Cul-de-sac courts were, and still are, a distinctive feature of the urban landscape in Hull. This small housing form, known as byelaw housing, is made up of two parallel facing terraces, with a wide pathway in between, at right angles to the main thoroughfare street. They were generally in units of twelve or twenty-two houses.

Source: Forster (1972)

There is a wide range of court types, which have evolved from pre-1854 up until 1914. Many of the characteristics have been dictated by Byelaws, which emerged as a response to poor living conditions and health problems. The table below summarises the changing characteristics of the cul-de-sac courts and the factors which influenced the changes. The characteristics which have changed over time include: Width of courtways Length of courts Thickness of walls Building materials Drainage systems Presence of: o Tunnel entrances o Backyards o Rear access o Front gardens o Bay or flush windows o End houses which face the street / terrace o Garrets Dates Key Characteristics Pre 1854 Old Town Confined courts - Back to back Courtway 3 to 4 ft wide, narrow alleyways 10 privies for 175 inhabitants 1 brick thick

Suburbs Focused in Sculcoates and Myton Courtway less narrow Back yards Some small front gardens Some still had tunnels No secondary means of access One brick thick Prone to structural weakness, damp, loss of heating, drainage via an open channel

This type of suburban court attracted criticism in the mid 19th Century. They were primarily built between 1780-1850, first in Sculcoates to the north and then Myton to the south. Courts in North Myton had a more unusual layout with courts within courts. However, these had become more regular in shape by 1850. Despite Myton being built later, and built to a better standard, it attracted more of the negative comment in 1840- 1850s. It was actually the scale of unrelenting poverty that was the problem. Whilst there was no reason for the persistence of courts as a housing type, court layouts remained. They were an efficient use of land which maximised rent returns.

Source: Forster (1972)

Kingston BYELAW: upon Hull Tunnels prohibited Improvement Courtways at least 20ft wide Act 1854 Back yard (although rear access not compulsory) Walls to be 9 inches thick Must be soundly drained Plan needed to be submitted for approval

The Cholera epidemic in England had led to the Health of Towns Act 1848. The Act was optional rather than compulsory, but following an outbreak in Hull, the Act was implemented. Poor housing conditions and high density tenements were criticised, as the outbreak of the disease was focused on areas of cul-de-sac courts e.g. Myton. Those built between 1840-1850 were particularly affected.

The Act had the power to cleanse streets and demolish unsanitary properties, but not the power to regulate new buildings. As a result the Kingston Upon Hull Improvement Act empowered the Local Board of Health to create and enforce housing byelaws aimed at controlling the standards of new buildings. As a result the above standards were imposed.

1854 - 1875 Characterised by: Court ways 20ft wide or less 100ft long or less No rear access No tunnel entrance

Source: Forster (1972)

Post 1854, courts continued to be the most common form of working class housing built in Hull. Post 1854 contained a lot of variation of court types, but Post 1854 courts had better standards and therefore have been more likely to be retained. Only 11 pre-1854 courts survived in 1960s, with most being demolished. Health Act BYELAW: 1875 Secondary access was compulsory

1878-1884 Characterised by: Court ways at least 20ft wide Less than 100 ft long Rear access No front garden, no garrett Red brick No tunnel Flush windows

Source: Forster (1972)

1884-1893 Often exceeded minimum standards: Increase in front gardens, bay windows, garrets, increasing widths beyond 20ft By 1880s - transition from local to national buildings materials

Source: Forster (1972) 1893 -1908 BYELAW: regulating the construction of streets and buildings Minimum width 24ft (increase from 20ft) Max length . 100ft Front gardens compulsory and increase minimum size of back yards Many of these features had emerged before 1893 - this Byelaw did not create new types, but eliminated poorer types

Of the 21 types of courts built after 1854, only 5 types satisfied these regulations. Now majority of court - characterised by the above standards and: Lower bays End house facing streets, but some facing terraces Red brick, slate Rear access

The aim of the Byelaw was to restrain the popularity and profitability of courts as a building form - this did not happen - there was an increase in applications for permissions, and only after 1908 did the numbers decline.

1908-1914 Emergence of another type, characterised by: Bays on both floors Solid appearance - brick bays rather than wooden Gable houses facing streets - still built but less common These types of courts are of particular interest - final forms of morphological features

Source: Forster (1972)

Those courts which remain today, are largely focused around the inner suburbs of Hull, with particular concentrations to the west and north in Hawthorn/Dairycoats, Boulevard, West Park, Dukeries and Newland, and to the east at New Bridge Road, Summergangs and Drypool.

Those which have been retained are generally those built following the Byelaws benefiting from shorter courtways, small front gardens and bay windows, more attractive to house buyers today. However, they lack adequate on or off street parking provision. The condition of the courts varies, some are well maintained and performing well, and others are in decline especially where the wider area is in a poor condition.

Many of the original layouts have altered, for example the end terraces on the thoroughfare streets have acquired part of the court way as their off street parking space, enclosed with a high fence. This has resulted in small walkways through to the courts, which has significantly detracted from their distinctive layout.

Bibliography

Allison, K.J., A Victoria History of the County of York East Riding, Victoria County History, 1969

Forster, C.A., Court Housing in Kingston Upon Hull: An Example of Cycle Processes in the Morphological Development of Nineteenth-century Bye-Law Housing, The University of Hull, 1972

Hull City Council Documents

Hull Extensive Heritage Appraisal, Taylor Young & DTZ, March 2006

Historic Environment Strategy (adopted 2010-15)

Hull Character Study (Phase 1)