Hull’s free entry Museums Quarter will be offering even more value this summer, with plenty of medieval merriment and mayhem, while the city will also be revealing Tudor tales and see historic characters burst to life.
Family fun comes courtesy of three events over the weekend of 29-30 July when the Museums Quarter will be transformed into a medieval encampment, while the city’s inspiring Minster will breathe new life into ancient monuments.
More time travelling escapades will be on offer at another historic site, with a weekend of Tudor Tales at The South Blockhouse, a nationally significant monument built by Henry VIII, which has recently been excavated by archaeologists.
Leading the family festival fun will be Medieval Mayhem, centred around the Museums Quarter, where visitors will be able come face-to-face with knights in armour, a unit of archers, medieval residents, craftspeople and musicians.
Among treats in store will be knight combat displays, wandering characters, medieval pottery demonstrations, cookery displays and ‘have a go’ archery. All the events are free, apart from archery, which will cost £2 per session (www.hcandl.co.uk/campaign/medieval-mayhem-2023).
For history with a twist, Hull Minster and Trinity Square will be the place to be on Saturday 29 July, when the Back to Life Festival rewinds the clock to the 15th century.
Along with a heritage craft market and entertainment in the Square, the Minster aims to bring its monuments to life in an immersive, interactive experience, featuring actors who will become some of the city’s key figures from times gone by.
A recreated medieval chapel will give an insight in to how it would have looked in 1458 featuring the tastes, smells, sights, and sounds of the time; and the lives of leading lights from the past will be told by wandering actors through poetry, plays, stories and song. Among them will be John Alderson, a pioneer in medical innovation who was crucial in improving health conditions within Hull (https://hm.churchsuite.com/events/iptvjewi).
For a rare chance to get a closer look at a site that was the largest volunteer-driven archaeological dig seen in the city this century, Telling Tales of Tudor Hull will reveal more about some of the discoveries there.
In a one-off event, the remains of The South Blockhouse – part of fortifications on the east bank of the river Hull built between 1541 and 1543 – will be open to the public for the two-day event. As well as being able to talk to archaeologists, visitors can handle artefacts from the area, find out more about Hull’s maritime past, taste Tudor food, and even make their own model sailing boat before testing their seaworthiness in the ‘drainpipe channel challenge’.
For tourism information about visiting, and staying in, Hull, see www.visithull.org