As Yorkshire’s maritime city, Hull is now working on an extensive redevelopment of its significant historic maritime assets. Building upon the legacy and success of UK City of Culture 2017, it supports Hull’s aspiration to become a world-class visitor destination.

The sites included within this ambitious project are: Hull Maritime Museum; Dock Office Chambers on New Cross Street, the North End Shipyard on Dock Office Row and two historic vessels, the Arctic Corsair and Spurn Lightship.

The project explores and celebrates Hull’s remarkable maritime history. Our heritage will be at the heart of a place-making programme that will preserve several significant assets and move Hull forward as a world-class visitor destination.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded Hull City Council’s maritime project with £13.6m to preserve and celebrate our rich maritime heritage.

Following on from the success of UK City of Culture 2017, the project is the next major milestone in the delivery of Hull’s City Plan and 10-year Cultural Strategy, which set out how Hull will achieve its ambition to become a world-class visitor destination.

Over the next four years, the £27.4m Hull Maritime project is set to become a reality and represents the next major phase in the regeneration of this historic maritime city as well as celebrating every element of its maritime past, present and future.

This project will develop and transform three important sites: Hull Maritime Museum; Dock Office Chambers and the North End Shipyard; and preserve two historic vessels, the Arctic Corsair and Spurn Lightship. By creating a new maritime experience we can showcase Hull on a global scale, tell the many compelling stories that are rooted in the city and how its heritage has shaped its past, capturing the city’s strong sense of pride.

The awarding of The National Lottery Heritage Fund grant and the match funding of the City Council has been bolstered by a fundraising campaign, which is on the way to achieving its £2.6m funding target with £250,000 already secured. The success of the fundraising campaign embodies the support and passion of the people of Hull for the project, ensuring that their city remains at the forefront of arts, culture and heritage following its triumphant reign as the UK City of Culture since 2017.

There will also be a raft of volunteering and training opportunities as well as an engaging and exciting learning and activity programme that will reach every corner of the city. We’re looking forward to the project progressing and seeing the difference it will make for the city, its residents and visitors alike.

It’s our time, it’s our maritime!

The museum’s collections are ‘Designated’ as being of national significance and the British and European whaling collections are the most significant in the world. In addition, the extensive collection of scrimshaw is regarded as the best outside of the United States. However, better storage and display will allow these collections to truly shine for a bigger audience. As part of the project:

• There will be a 50 per cent increase in the number of items available for public view
• 37,852 collections items will be re-housed
• Collections will undergo extensive conservation and will be stored in a bespoke, regulated environment
• The collections will be assessed, conserved and properly stored, with new management and maintenance routines

This area is at the heart of Hull’s maritime and trade history with ship building taking place and ships berthing to discharge cargo into High Street , the centre of trade at the time. The central dry dock became the lock-pit of Queen’s Dock in 1774 when the Act of Parliament was granted for the Dock Company to form a new dock.

In 1775 – The Blaydes family sold their shipyard (which built both the HMS Bounty and HMS Boreas, commanded by Nelson) outside the North Gates to the Dock Company for the formation of a new Dock.

The project will seek to preserve this heritage and raise the profile of how this area acted as a catalyst for Hull’s history as a global maritime port by:

• Revealing a hidden gem of Hull’s maritime heritage and celebrating the historic significance of High Street.
• Creating an additional attraction near the Museums Quarter
• Housing the Arctic Corsair in a permanent dry berth
• Restoring the 20^th century Scotch Derrick Crane on site, as a key symbol of recent maritime past
• Highlighting the significance of the Queens Gardens (formerly Queen’s Dock) in the maritime story of Hull’s old town