Photo credit: Hulldailymail.co.uk
The Hull Maritime Museum is one of Hull's biggest most enjoyed attractions exploring the city's vast sea-related history, dedicating entire exhibits to topics such as the city's expeditions into the Arctic ocean to whale and how the fishing industry and maritime trading lead to a boom for the city.
However, in recent months the building has been covered in scaffolding. In fact for the entirety of my time living in Hull the last year, the building has been closed. So what's going on with that? To really understand, it's important to look at the building's history. Originally constructed in 1871 as Hull's Dock Offices, the building has stood in the center of Hull's most popular streets for 151 years. In that time the building has been maintained to the best of the employee's abilities however it's only delayed the inevitable as it's fallen into notable disrepair with even the paintings displayed inside being slowly covered with layers of grime that were recently removed while in storage.
After winning the UK City of Culture award in 2017, the Grade II building was granted 13.6 million pounds by the National Lottery Heritage Fund as well as a 10 million pound commitment from the Hull City council to repair and modernize the building, creating new exhibits and making it more accessible to disabled people. Previously, the only way for people in pushchairs to enter was through the emergency back entrance. The repairs have been slated to be completed for multiple dates, however signs outside currently indicate Spring 2023.
The building is only one of three Hull-based maritime projects currently being brought back to life as the fund extends to restoring The Arctic Corsair, "the sole survivor of Hull's distant-water sidewinder trawler fleet" and a former record breaker for landing of cod and haddock from the White Sea. North End Shipyard, Spurn Lightship, and Dock Office Chambers will also be refurbished in order to "create an exciting new maritime route that will guide visitors through the heart of the city from Queen Victoria Square to the River Hull" according to the Hull City Plan official website. Tourists can expect to see those projects completed and be able to expect a great maritime experience in Hull in the years to come.
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Dakota Morrill
- Padoo Homes
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