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Photo: Peter Church, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
This is Hull's first public park, tree planting starting in 1860. It was opened as the Peoples Park, but was later named Pearson Park after Zachariah Pearson, ship owner and at one time Mayor of Hull. He gave the land to the people of Hull but being a shrewd business man retained 12 acres of land round it for housing development. Pearson went bankrupt running arms to the southern states in the American Civil War and is buried in a modest grave in the nearby old General Cemetery on Spring Bank West, which itself is worth a visit. At the east side there is a large pair of ornamental metal gates and within the park there is a small lake and fountain, a ‘Victorian’ glasshouse, statues of Queen Victoria (1861) and Prince Albert (1868), an elegant Victorian drinking fountain (1864), the cupola of the old Town Hall (west side) and next to this a children’s playground. Bowling greens are situated at the east side. Many of the large houses surrounding the park are of interest and include the one in which Philip Larkin, the poet, lived from 1956-1974.
Pearson Park, originally known as the People's Park is a park in the west of Kingston upon Hull, England. It is situated about 1 mile (1.5 km) north-west of the city centre of Hull with its main entrance on Beverley Road and its western boundary adjoining Princes Avenue.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
A conservation area whose varied house architecture and street plan will be of interest to the casual visitor and to those interested in Victorian, Edwardian and post-World War I middle class residential housing. Starting from 1875, when Prince’s Avenue was opened and soon after the inception of Pearson Park, four parallel avenues, Marlborough, Westbourne, Park and Victoria and two cross streets, Richmond and Salisbury, were laid out between Chanterlands Avenue to the west and Prince’s Avenue to the east. The original farm land was subdivided for building purposes in such a way that it produced runs of properties of differing styles though generally towards the west houses are of a later date than those at the east. Circles with fountains were a feature and over the last few decades these have been restored –though not as full fountains. The houses used to have cast iron railings: they were removed for the ‘war effort’ but were never used, the metal being of the wrong kind! Their insertion holes can still be seen in places as can the odd piece of original railing though these are not along the frontage but between houses. By 1910 The Avenues was essentially in its current form. There are many interesting houses in the area but among the largest are those designed by George Gilbert Scott junior built between 1877 and 1879. These can be found along the west side of Salisbury Street between Westbourne and Park Avenue. One or two newer houses might be seen which have either been built on World War II bomb damage, old market gardens, playing fields or in one case a bakery. From its inception, the fortunes of The Avenues have varied. The Avenues and Pearson Park Residents Association (APPR) has led the preservation of the district. On the first two Sundays in July many gardens are open to visitors and at Christmas many windows are lit as ‘Advent Calendars’. The Avenues is mentioned in Pevsner and Neave’s 1995 book but various booklets have also been published about the area. The Avenues Conservation Area –Practical guidance for residents on renovation, planning and design, 2007 ISBN No 0-9541031-3-0, will be of interest to those with a curiosity for domestic architecture. By foot The Avenues can be accessed by those buses which pass along Prince’s and Chanterlands Avenues. These are available from the Hull Paragon Interchange. No buses pass through the area. During the day on road parking may be available but at night spaces are usually scarce.
To see a production from one of the most successful local theatre companies in the country.
A must for people trying to trace their ancestors from the area and Hulls history in general. Opened in 2009, this state-of-the-art facility holds documents from the City Council's Family History and City Archives as well as some from the University of Hull. It is behind the New Theatre on Worship Street.
formerly KCOM Stadium
Hull City AFC were promoted in 2026 and now play soccer in the Premier League, the top tier. Also here are Hull FC who play rugby league in Super League, the top tier of the 13-a-side game in England. The stadium, also known as "The Circle" after the cricket ground it replaced, has a capacity of 25,000 and is half a mile west of city centre off A1105 Anlaby Road.
Tucked away in a rather inauspicious area of the city, The Charter House is on Charterhouse Lane, and lies within a small conservation area. The wealthy merchant and first mayor of Hull Sir William de la Pole founded a Priory of Carthusian monks here in 1350, with the further intention of establishing a hospital. The ‘Gods House Hospital’ was eventually established by his son, the charter being granted in 1384 when the first master was appointed. It housed 13 poor men and 13 poor women, and was surrounded by fields through which the River Hull flowed. The institution prospered from income derived from its lands. This attracted the attention of Henry VIII who, in 1536, closed the Priory and turned the monks out. The hospital, however, remained and over time acquired the name The Charterhouse. This name is a corruption of Chartreuse in France where the order of Monks originated from. With Hull’s refusal to admit Charles I in 1642 and the start of the English Civil War, the town became a target for the Royalists and the Charterhouse, being outside the town walls, was demolished so a gun battery could be placed there to defend the town. In 1649 the Master, with his flock, returned to the site and the Charterhouse was rebuilt. However, neglect and decay caused this building to be pulled down in 1777 and a third one was built, the only remaining piece of the original priory being the stone over the door of the Master's House. But more was to come and although the Charterhouse survived World War II, The Blitz that Hull suffered caused much damage to its buildings. Since its restoration and expansion with improved living quarters the people living there now no longer represent de la Poles ‘indigent and decayed persons’ but pay for their accommodation and are called Residents. What is known as the Charter House consists of the Master's House and walled garden where Andrew Marvell is said to have played under the Mulberry tree and on the northern side of the road Old House which contains the fine Chapel with its Adams ceiling.
A huge travelling fair, and one of the city's greatest regular occasions, if not its greatest. It is the biggest European fair, and at over 700 years old, also one of the oldest. Visiting the fair is a must, though for evening visitors from a long way out of town, overnight accommodation may be necessary. The first charter for a ‘fair’ was granted in 1278 though in 1293 Edward I proscribed the original length of it. In the 18th and 19th centuries, it developed more into a fair, and less of a festive market, and later mechanisation allowed more varied and bigger ‘rides’ to be developed. In 1888, the fair moved to its current site in Walton Street where it occupies an area of 16 acres. Attractions vary: simple stalls where you can win prizes; large complex rides many of which may challenge one if not all your senses; children’s rides; stalls selling all manner of food (candy floss, hot- dogs, chips, brandy snap, toffee apples, coconuts, etc.) and goods (balloons, masks, toys, fancy hats, cheap jewellery, etc.) It is not easy to cover the whole fair in one visit and local people may go several times. Prices are less on the first afternoon the fair opens but daylight takes something away from the experience. At night the fair is brightly lit and its glow can be seen from miles away. At night it is crowded though generally safe but the hand of young children should be held as, in any crowded space, they can soon get lost from view in the mass of people. The weather can be cold so warm clothing is advisable. Police and medical services patrol the fair. Parking near the fair is difficult so a walk is usually required. Three main entrances are available; Spring Bank West and Walton Street, Anlaby Road and Walton Street and the metal bridge at the junction of Argyle Street and Londesborough Street. Hull Fair is held during the second week of October.