A new state-of-the-art visitor centre, set to become one of the most energy-efficient cultural buildings in the UK, is now complete as Hull’s huge £65m maritime project takes a major step forward.
Hull Maritime – one of the UK’s most challenging and complex restoration projects – has taken over five years of work but will see the city become home to some of the country’s best-preserved seafaring attractions.
The latest stage has seen the completion of a new visitor centre at North End Shipyard, set to become the new home for the Arctic Corsair, Hull’s last remaining sidewinder trawler.
Showcasing and celebrating the trawler’s dramatic story – in a shipyard that was the original entrance to Queens Dock, the UK’s largest when it opened in the 18th century – the new ‘Passivhaus’ building has been designed with sustainability and accessibility at its heart.
It is the first UK museum visitor centre to achieve Passivhaus certification, a globally recognised standard for high-performance, highly efficient buildings.
Now internal works will get underway to transform it from an empty space into a modern visitor centre celebrating Hull’s trawling heritage.
And in another boost, it has also been revealed that after unforeseen delays, a license has now been issued for vital work to dredge silt from the River Hull, which will allow the restored Arctic Corsair to be safely moved to the new site.
Because of that work, and the installation of a new 50-tonne dock gate, the historic trawler will not be able to move from its current berth at William Wright Dock until April 2026 to coincide with the next forecasted high tide – with the new attraction expected to open to the public in the summer.
Currently berthed at Hull’s William Wright Dock, the Arctic Corsair – which has been dubbed Hull’s ‘Cutty Sark’ – is a nationally significant vessel representing the end of a once major industry. Built in Beverley in 1960, her career has included a world-record catch and conflict in the Cod Wars during the 1970s. Once in place, visitors will be able to look inside and learn about the life of a trawlerman, with firsthand stories from former crew members.
North End Shipyard is one of Hull’s hidden gems at the heart of the city’s maritime and trade history which spanned the world – and the place where both HMS Bounty and HMS Boreas, once commanded by Horatio Nelson, were built. It was from this port, in Defoe’s classic novel, that Robinson Crusoe set sail on his epic voyage only to get shipwrecked.
Other elements of Hull Maritime include the Spurn Lightship, which guided vessels as they navigated the Humber estuary, one of the world’s most treacherous waterways. It is edging closer to welcoming visitors again. Moored at a purpose-built site near Murdoch’s Connection footbridge, which links Hull Marina to the city centre, the restored Spurn will feature new projections, film, immersive sound and graphics telling its story.
Completing the line-up will be Hull’s Maritime Museum, which has been undergoing a multi-million-pound refurbishment since 2019, and due to re-open in spring 2026 with more of its Victorian architecture revealed, new galleries, improved visitor facilities and, for the first time, access to one of the building’s distinctive domes.
In a separate investment, a £21m scheme at the city centre’s Queens Gardens – originally the city’s first public dock – is seeing its biggest transformation since it was turned into a picturesque garden space in 1930. Due to fully open in 2026, the new look ‘green oasis’ will connect the Maritime Museum with the new visitor centre at North End Shipyard.
Hull Maritime is funded by Hull City Council and The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
For more information visit maritimehull.co.uk
For all other tourism information about Hull, see www.visithull.org
Photos: above, Arctic Corsair in dry dock, and below, the Spurn Lightship almost ready for its final reveal. Credit for both images – Neil Holmes Photography/Hull City Council
