The Hull Hub Issue 22

HESSLE ROAD
ST ANDREW’S DOCK, 1930s
St Andrew’s Dock opened in 1883 and many jobs were
created. It was named after St Andrew the patron
saint of fishermen but was known locally as “fish
dock.” At its peak, St Andrew’s Dock supported a fleet
of around 350 trawlers and became one of the largest
fishing ports in the world.
With the growth of the fishing industry from the mid
to late 19th century Hessle Road rapidly spread westwards
and by the 1890s, it had reached the Dairycoates
area. Densely populated terraced houses
stood on either side of the road, mostly occupied by
families connected to the fishing industry, especially
on the south side. Shops, pubs and churches were
also built and from the 1890s to 1914, Hessle Road became
one of the busiest roads in the city.
The fishing industry started to decline in the 1970s, mostly due to the Icelandic
Cod Wars when fishing limits were imposed and St Andrew’s Dock closed to
fishing in 1975. Most of the old terraced houses were cleared and demolished in
the 1960s and 70s and the inhabitants moved away. Some streets, however, like
Tyne Street and Coltman Street still survive today.
HULL CATTLE MARKET IN 1978
WHERE KINGSTON RETAIL PARK IS TODAY
HULL CATTLE MARKET
In 1838, a purpose built cattle
market opened in Edward’s Place,
Commercial Road. By 1928, there
were pigs and sheep as well as
cattle. The market was held on
Mondays for sheep, pigs and cattle
and for dairy stock on Tuesdays.
By 1962, it opened only on
Mondays due to lack of business
and it eventually closed. It was demolished in the late 1980s and Kingston Retail
Park was built on the site.
A horse fair was also held nearby behind The Whittington and Cat public
house (originally called The Whittington Inn) which stands near the Mytongate
roundabout. It was popular with travellers and was held during Hull Fair week
in October.
REGENT STREET WASH HOUSE
Regent Street Wash House
opened in 1935 in Regent Street,
Hessle Road. It served a densely
populated area where there were
very limited facilities for washing
and drying clothes at home.
Women usually took their washing
there once a week on top of a
REGENT STREET WASH HOUSE, 1957
pram, often accompanied by children. Boilers had to be booked and large heated
dryers could be pulled out from the wall. A charge was made for using the
washing stalls, boiling, wringing, mangling and ironing and upright washers
with mangles were hired out in the late 1950s. The wash house lost its popularity
when a launderette opened nearby in the 1960s, which made washing easier.
DAIRYCOATES
Dairycoates was once a quiet
country hamlet surrounded by
agricultural land. Only three people
lived there in 1823 (1823 Gazetteer),
a farmer and two people
connected to the brick and tile
industry. The Hull and Selby Railway
was constructed in the 1830s
and Dairycoates Engine Shed, the
HESSLE ROAD RAILWAY CROSSING, 1952 largest NER shed was built there
in 1863. Dairycoates rapidly expanded
and many railways workers lived in the nearby Hawthorne Avenue or
Chalk Lane area. To the left of this photo are some railway cottages which
overlooked the railway line near Hawthorn Avenue. These were demolished in
the early 1960s and a flyover was built in1962 to reduce traffic congestion at this
busy Hessle Road (Dairycoates) crossing.
CHAPMAN’S TAXIS, PARKERS AND EUREKA FISHERIES
Chapman’s Taxis was a family taxi and wedding
car business which operated from 545, Hessle
Road. There was a house with a garage at the back
and a yard where taxis could park. Taxis were often
hired for a few days by fishermen who were
home from sea. Next to Chapman’s Taxis was Parkers which sold newspapers,
magazines and numerous other goods including train spotting books, toys
and novelties. Eureka Fisheries stood on the corner of Brighton Street. It was
named after the Eureka Cinema which stood opposite. Customers could take
their own pieces of fish to be fried and in the shop was a sign that said “If it
swims, come to Jim’s.”
The Eureka was a purpose built
and popular picture palace,
which opened in September, 1912.
It survived The Blitz in the Second
World War but with the advent of
television and with competition
from larger Hull cinemas, its
popularity waned and it closed in
1959. The Eureka was converted
into a popular bingo hall in the
EUREKA PICTURE PALACE, 1940
1960s when it was opened by actress Pat Phoenix from Coronation Street. It
eventually closed as a bingo hall and became a live music venue for a short
while in 1984 but finally closed in1989 and was later demolished.
HESSLE ROAD
Hessle Road stands in the Myton
area which was once open
countryside with pasture land for
sheep with a rough track called
Patrick Grounds Lane. Streets
such as English Street, St James
Street and Lister Street were built
in the early 1800s and wealthy
people such as surgeons, solicitors
and ship owners moved into
GET TO KNOW
YOUR CITY
by Catherine Derrick
This photo looks west towards St. James Church. To
the left is a World War Two bomb site. Lister Street
was demolished in the 1960s.
the elegant houses with gardens. The road was improved when a turnpike and
tolls were introduced in 1826 and in the 1840s, professionals moved into streets
such as Coltman Street.
St James Church was built in St James Square, Lister Street and was consecrated
in 1831. It was built to serve the growing population and had seating for 1,000
people. The church was demolished in 1957.
YANKEE BURGER
Yankee Burger was an American style diner
situated near the flyover on Hessle Road. It
had a pink Corvette car on the roof and was
a well known landmark. In the centre of the
dining area was a juke box which played
1950s classic records and on the walls was
American memorabilia. Elvis impersonation
competitions were also held there. It served food such as US style burgers,
fries, shakes and its famous American Chip Spice.
Yankee Burger moved to Hessle Road from Jameson Street in 1991 when it was
one of the first American style fast food outlets in Hull. Owner John Science
introduced his famous American Chip Spice from there in 1979. He added his
own secret ingredients to spiced salt and paprika and sold it to fish and chip
shops and takeaways across the city. Today it is a popular product sold nationwide.
Yankee Burger closed in 2005 and an ambulance station now stands on
the site.
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