Tuesday 29 August 2017

Hull (Part 2)

Part 2 of our exploration of Hull, UK City of Culture 2017, is a tour around the edge of the city centre, starting and ending in the old docks area.

Our first port of call, so to speak, is the Humber Ferry booking office in Nelson Street.



The ferry ceased operating when the Humber Bridge was opened in 1981, which at the time was the longest single-span suspension bridge in the world.




The current clock would seem to date from 2002.


One thing I noticed about Hull was the large number of public toilets, not all still in use, across the city. A fine block (see below) is situated near to our starting point, and we pass a subterranean facility as we head northwards across the dual carriageway (A63) to our second point of call...



...which is Holy Trinity on Market Place, although it now seems to be referred to as Hull Minster.


The Pevsner guide to Hull refers to this building as "among the greatest of the great town churches of medieval England". The church dates from around 1300 and, like most of its age has undergone numerous alterations and refurbishments since, including a restoration in 1860 - 78 by Sir George Gilbert Scott.


The clock dates from 1772, with four dials added in 1840.





Always good to get a few photos of reflections in nearby modern buildings:




...even if it does make things go a bit wobbly.


Adjacent to the church, on its north side, is Trinity Market. This has recently been refurbished, and looks like it is still finding its new feet. It all feels a bit antiseptic at the moment.





So lets press northwards, past one of the greatest street names ever (Land of Green Ginger), past the Guildhall covered in Part 1, and onto the High Street. And as promised in Part 1, we visit we former Dock Offices of 1820.






Continuing north up Dock Office Row and then right on to George Street, we come across what to me is another defining feature of Hull, namely a swing bridge. There are numerous ones in the city, especially across the River Hull.

This one is North Bridge, a substantial structure which carries the A165.







The bridge leads into a road junction which was clearly never designed with pedestrians in mind, and which on the eastern side is the Annison Building.






Retracing our steps back over the bridge brings us into the northern part of the city centre.


The Hull Business Training Centre is a bit tucked out of the way on the corner of Grimston Street, and I was really not expecting to find a clock here. But that is the beauty of clock hunting - you never know when you might come across a fine specimen.


If you are familiar with this blog, you will know that I like simple designs on modern buildings - they look so much better than replica Victorian clocks in this type of setting.


So I was also pleased to find this next one on the Central Library on Prospect Street. The original library building dates from 1901, but this more modern extension was completed in 1962.








And behind the library is another toilet block.


At the end of Prospect Street at its junction with Ferensway is a rare example of a floral clock, set out in the pattern of, of course, the City of Culture logo.


It is not actually easy to tell the time due the angle of planting and its location next to a busy road junction. It is probably best seen from the top of a double decker bus (as are so many things).







The weather vane is the clue to the identity of our final building.


Although now signed as the Marina Recreation Centre, this is the Ellerman Wilson Warehouse on the corner of Kingston Street and Commercial Road.




The Ellerman Wilson Line was once a major shipping company, with a large fleet of both passenger and freight vessels. It is a shame that its warehouse is reduced to being an indoor bowling centre and (oh please save us from) fat conversions.


Oh well, at least it has still got its clock.



In Part 3 we move away from the city centre into the outer reaches of Hull.