From fishy ‘goings-on’, to following in the footsteps of one of the 20th-century’s greatest poets, walking trails of Hull offer visitors a chance to discover a different perspective on the maritime city.
Now, a new-look downloadable guide has been launched by Visit Hull bringing together eight trails, all based around the city centre and most taking in the River Hull and Humber estuary.
Taking from 45 minutes to half a day to stroll, they range from Hull’s popular Fish Trail to the Larkin Trail, as well as the Lord Mayor’s Centenary Trail, covering 100 years of Hull’s hidden heritage, and even an Ale Trail.
Along with insider tips and accessibility information the relaunched guide includes maps, highlights of each trail plus QR codes to download individual trail directions. As a bonus, there is also a QR code link and details of free guided walks available throughout the year from acclaimed local tour guide Paul Scofield, including a Photography Walkabout, a two-hour wander through Hull Old Town for those with an interest in snapping-up some history.
Among the routes covered in the new-look guide, is Hull’s popular Fish Trail, which celebrates Hull’s rich maritime history. Featuring an A- Z of sea life, the 41 sculptures are etched into pavements, and all life-size, from a school of 36 tiny anchovies to a 10ft ray overlooking Victoria Pier. And the artist’s sense of humour surfaces with the location of individual pieces – with a plaice in the market place, an electric eel outside the electricity substation and a shark outside a bank.
Hull also celebrates the life and times of its most famous sons on two more walks. Retracing the steps of Hull’s most widely known historical figure, anti-slavery campaigner William Wilberforce, the Wilberforce Trail begins at the merchant’s house where he was born, and which is now home to the world’s oldest slavery museum, before winding through the city where he was baptised, educated and later became its MP.
Literary fans can learn more about former Hull librarian, and acclaimed poet, Philip Larkin, on the Larkin Trail, which offers an insight into his time in the city, where he spent the last 30 years of his life and from where he wrote some of his most famous poetry collections, including The Whitsun Weddings (1964) and High Windows (1974).
For those who like a pint, or a G&T, with their history, the Ale Trail is a comprehensive guide to the traditional pubs in Hull Old Town with a historical story to tell, including the George Hotel, home to the smallest window in England, in the wonderfully named street, Land Of Green Ginger.
And among the most topical tours is the Hull: Yorkshire’s Maritime City Tour, where visitors can discover 800 years of maritime heritage through the buildings, stories, and the people of Hull.
Currently a £30m, five-year project to transform Hull’s maritime treasures is nearing completion, with two refurbished attractions re-opening in 2024, Hull’s historic Spurn Lightship in the spring, followed later by the Arctic Corsair trawler at a new £3.8m ‘eco-friendly’ visitor attraction. Hull’s Maritime Museum re-opens in early 2025.
To access the guide visit www.visithull.org/to-do/city-walking-trails-booklet/
For all tourist information on Hull, see www.visithull.org