Here domes and statues, spires and cranes cluster
Beside grain-scattered streets, barge-crowded water,
‘Here’ by Philip Larkin, poet and librarian at the University of Hull
Larkin wasn’t always complimentary about his adopted home, calling it ‘fish smelling’ and ‘a dump’:
I wish I could think of just one nice thing to tell you about Hull – oh yes, well, it’s very nice and flat for cycling.
And the city has had something of a poor reputation in England in recent years, but that seems to be changing. A city voted the ‘worst place to live in the UK’ in 2005 became the country’s City of Culture in 2017 and last year its city centre was named one of the coolest places to live by the Sunday Times. From worst to coolest; that’s quite a turnaround!
Of course like any city it has its rougher areas. And while shop closures are an issue on many of our high streets it seemed to me that Hull (full name Kingston upon Hull, by the way) has more than its fair share. But it has a number of excellent free museums, a marina area with old warehouses transformed into restaurants and bars, and a strong sense of heritage. It is also developing a vibrant film-making industry, dubbing itself as Hullywood, as film makers take advantage of its small but largely intact old town.
I’ll write more about my brief visit to Hull last week in due course (I’m backed up with trip notes from Sri Lanka, Budapest, Liverpool and now Hull!) Meanwhile though here are a few black and white edits of shots that I thought would lend themselves to that medium, for this week’s theme-free Monochrome Madness.
My feature photo is of the Minster, which unfortunately was closed to the public all week because of the filming taking place. It, like all my other images, was originally shot in colour and edited with Nik Silver Efex Pro.
Hull People’s Memorial, Paragon Street, dedicated to the victims of World War Two blitz bombing raids (Hull was the second most heavily bombed city in the UK after London)
The Boer War Memorial, Paragon Square
Prince Street, one of the most attractive and desirable streets in the Old Town
Detail of a building in Lowgate, in the Old Town
Britannia and Lion statue on the roof of the Guildhall
Part of the Queen Victoria Monument and the Maritime Museum in Victoria Square
Detail of the pedestal of the Queen Victoria statue in Victoria Square
Monument to King William III, often referred to as ‘King Billy’, in the Market Place
Statue of the poet Andrew Marvell (who lived in Hull as a child and was educated at Hull Grammar School) in front of the Minster
Statue of William Wilberforce outside the house where he was born, now the Wilberforce House Museum devoted to the story of his life and an often harrowing history of slavery
A Spring Song by Edith Mabel Gabriel in the Ferens Art Gallery
I visited Hull in May 2026
41 Comments
the eternal traveller
I always enjoy learning more about a place and its people through the statuary and art works. Hull looks like an interesting place to visit. Shop closures are a thing here too – we noticed so many empty shops on our recent trip to different parts of the country.
Sarah Wilkie
Hull surprised me by being as interesting as it was, as it doesn’t have a great reputation here either as a place to live or as a tourist destination. A couple of days was enough to see most of it, though there are a couple of well-respected museums that I didn’t have time to visit.
equinoxio21
Thanks for the tour of Hull. (I doubt I’ll ever go.)
The Boer war now? A cousin of my grandmother was killed there. On the English side. 24 or so, born in India…
Sarah Wilkie
I wouldn’t make a point of visiting Hull, although it does have its plus points (as do most places, I’ve found). The Boer War is much less talked about, and its victims, less commemorated, than others, so I was surprised to find this significant monument to it.
grandmisadventures
great pictures from around Hull 🙂
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Meg 🙂
wetanddustyroads
Hull has definitely risen above the negative comments, didn’t they? And a Boer War Memorial … well, just for that, Hull gets a big YES from me.
Sarah Wilkie
Glad you like the war memorial Corna 🙂
Yvonne Dumsday
So pleased that you found so many subjects to fit your specifications for this selection and I look forward to seeing what others you choose to share.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Yvonne. There will be more to share but probably not for some time as I’m behind with writing up trips!
Leanne Cole
That looks like a really interesting place to visit Sarah. Looks like lot of great things to photograph. Good to hear they have turned the town around for the better. I love hearing stories like that. Especially when you hear so many stories of towns struggling.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks Leanne 🙂 I reckon Hull has some way to go but at least it’s moving in the right direction and has plenty of heritage to build on.
Teresa
The sculptures look so good in monochrome. I haven’t heard of Hull, I had to look it up. Thanks for sharing Sarah.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Teresa 🙂 I do like photographing / editing monuments in monochrome.
Suzanne
For the locals I think it’s brilliant to bring out the best in a place in the hope it will bring visitors and money to local businesses. Hull certainly as a reputation for being rough though not via your images.
Sarah Wilkie
It definitely has its rough areas! But it’s also making the most of its heritage, especially as a filming location, and that will bring in much needed cash for further improvements I expect 🙂
Anabel @ The Glasgow Gallivanter
One of my former library colleagues was interviewed by Philip Larkin once. He didn’t get the job and I don’t think he regretted that.
Sarah Wilkie
I can’t imagine that Larkin would have been easy to work for!
restlessjo
I might just get there one of these days. The Humber bridge is the closest I’ve been but you have some great shots there xx
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Jo 😊 As I said to Marie, if you’re in the area it’s worth a day – there’s enough in the old town and museum district to keep you occupied. I’ll take you on a virtual Monday Walk one of these days!
Monkey's Tale
That’s quite the turn around. You’ve done a great job to highlight its best features. Maggie
Sarah Wilkie
I must admit that it didn’t strike me as the coolest place to live but it does have its good points 🙂 Thanks Maggie!
Marie
Not exactly on my wish list but you’ve done a great job in showing off the place. I didn’t even know it had an old town….I like Prince Street.
Sarah Wilkie
I didn’t know it had an old town either, nor that it had a cluster of excellent free museums! I’m not sure I’d go a long way out of my way to visit, but if in the area it’s worth a day. The trouble is, it’s so far ‘out on a limb’ that you’re unlikely to be in the area!
Heyjude
I can’t say that a visit to Hull attracts me. I’ve only been twice – the first when my eldest brother moved there for work into a shared redbrick terraced house back in 1964/5 and the second time when taking someone to the ferry port, around 1996. I dare say it has its nicer parts.
Sarah Wilkie
It does, and I think it makes much more of them these days, from all I’ve heard and read. I liked the Old Town, the Marina area and Victoria Square, but much of the rest felt like it could be any one of a hundred towns and cities in the UK!
Easymalc
I look forward to your fuller post on Hull. The city could never be described as beautiful, but beauty is only skin deep. I’ve got a soft spot for it.
Sarah Wilkie
It certainly has its moments and I enjoyed my few days there, but I won’t be rushing back!
Sue
Certainly looks an interesting place , full of history and I like the look of Princes street
Sarah Wilkie
Yes, that street is lovely as are some others in the Old Town. Further out they’re less interesting and most of them could be anywhere, though I liked the Marina area and Victoria Square
Sue
Interesting
EgÃdio
History through photos – that was gorgeous.
Sarah Wilkie
I’m glad you enjoyed it – thank you Egidio 🙂
margaret21
You’ve seized upon all kinds of iteresting detail to bring Hull excitingly alive. We really should visit more often and get to know it. We have no excuse really.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Margaret 😊 There were lots of details and small corners that I really enjoyed seeing, and there are some excellent museums, but I found other parts a bit neglected – and why a city that size needs three shopping centres within a few minutes walk of each other I’m really not sure!
margaret21
Shopping centres – the curse of the High Street! But yes, the museums – and free! – are excellent.
Anne Sandler
Hull should be on everyone’s “I need to visit” list. Your wonderful photos create a historic atmosphere.
Sarah Wilkie
After a few days there I would say it’s worth seeing but it will never be among my favourite English cities despite all the improvements made. I’ll show you around some more in a future post and you can make your own mind up!
Image Earth Travel
Hull looks lovely! Lots of monuments and historical things to see, with quaint streets. How did it turnaround so quickly?
I had to laugh at “Hullywood”. Interesting is that Wilberforce is close to the town of Windsor in New South Wales, where I grew up. I never knew he was from Hull.
Thanks for sharing another Hull chapter, which makes me want to visit. 🙂
Sarah Wilkie
The City of Culture award comes with funding to invest in things like street art, museums, cultural events etc. The council will have backed that up with investment in infrastructure. It’s also probably the case that people have learned to focus on the pluses, like the Old Town streets, rather than on some of the city’s downsides and issues.
Image Earth Travel
I wish all councils would invest like that as the proof is Hull. Refreshing to hear! Out council in Brisbane seems hell-bent on allowing developers to tear our heritage and replace with concrete multi-story apartments that no one can afford. Apparently this fixes the housing crisis.