This is a bit about Hull, or more formally Kingston upon Hull, the name given to the town by Edward I in 1299. Prior to this, the settlement was known as Wyke or Vyke, a Viking term meaning inlet or fjord. Hull is the largest city in East Yorkshire, with a population of about 260,000, not including the suburbs. The city, which received this status in 1897, lies at the confluence of the River Hull and the Humber, 21 miles inland from the mouth of the Humber estuary.

There are about 500 listed buildings, monuments and parks within the city, most notably Hull Minster, the largest parish church by area in England. The well-preserved Old Town has been the location of several films and television programmes. There are also some remarkable modern structures, such as the Humber Bridge, The Deep (one of the UK’s biggest aquariums), Scale Lane Bridge and The Tidal Surge Barrier.

Famous local personalities include William Wilberforce, the leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade and which the annual Freedom Festival commemorates, Andrew Marvell, the 17th century poet, Amy Johnson CBE, a pioneering English pilot who was the first woman to fly solo from London to Australia, and Philip Larkin, the University of Hull’s librarian and poet from more recent times.

Hull has a rich history as a major fishing port and was also once the third largest commercial port in England. Ferries still operate from Hull to Holland making Hull Yorkshire’s Maritime City, and a gateway to Europe.

In the Second World War, it was the second most heavily bombed city in the U.K., after London, with many people losing their lives.

The city has five major concert, shows and events venues, The Hull New Theatre, The Hull City Hall, The Hull Truck Theatre, Connexin LIVE (formerly The Bonus Arena), and The Hull (Ice) Arena.

Hull’s excellent museums are free to enter, such as the Streetlife Museum, Hull & East Riding and Hands on History Museums and the Ferens Art Gallery displaying the city’s rich heritage. Hull’s Maritime Museum and Wilberforce House are presently closed undergoing refurbishments.

Hull has a marina on the site of the former Railway Dock and Humber Dock and excellent views of it can now be seen from the Murdoch’s Connection Bridge which links the city centre to the marina, waterfront and Humber Street over the busy A63 main road into and out of the city. The bridge was named after the city’s first female GP, Dr Mary Murdoch. The A63 is named the ‘Clive Sullivan Way’ from Hessle in the west to the city centre, after one of the city’s famous adopted sons from Wales who captained Great Britain to glory in the 1972 Rugby League World Cup. He also played for both Hull FC and Hull Kingston Rovers. From the city centre to the docks in the east, the A63 is named the Roger Millward Way to honour Hull Kingston Rovers’ former player and coach.

Shopping undercover in the city centre can be done at St Stephen’s, The Prospect Centre, and Princes Quay that sits on stilts above the Princes Dock. St Stephen’s is next to the Hull Paragon Interchange where trains, and East Yorkshire and Stagecoach buses arrive and depart.

Professional sport is played at two venues in the city. Hull City play football at the MKM Stadium in the west of the city and are presently in the Championship Division. Hull FC also play there and are one of twelve teams playing Super League Rugby League. Their biggest rivals, Hull Kingston Rovers, play at the Sewell Group Craven Park in the east of the city.

Hull has hospitals, a university and a medical school.

Hull also has two sixth form colleges – Wyke in the west and Wilberforce in the east – both aptly named, drawing on our heritage. The University of Hull has its main campus in the city with another campus up in Scarborough.

In 2017, Hull was the City of Culture and this brought the city and area to an even larger audience and left a lasting legacy to Hull and the surrounding area.

Hull Fair is Europe’s largest travelling funfair that Hull is fortunate to enjoy every October in the Walton Street area of the city.

Hull has many hotels, restaurants, attractions, parks, statues and public houses within the city limits, including the old town, many of which can be explored with one of the many Trails on offer.

Hull has some very interesting historical points of interest. The Beverley Gate monument located near the beginning of Whitefriargate was the location where King Charles 1st was denied entry to the city. This incident is considered to have been significant in starting the English Civil War of 1642. The George public house is the location of the smallest window in England. LCD (liquid crystal display) was discovered and developed at University of Hull by Professor George Gray.

We hope that this brief introduction will encourage you to visit our wonderful “It’s never dull in Hull” city.