Top 10 reasons to visit Hull and East Yorkshire

By Phil Ascough

Festivals

A number of annual festivals run across Hull, including Freedom Festival, Humber Street Sesh and Hull Jazz Festival. Beverley Literature Festival draws huge names to the area in October, while the Hull Real Ale and Cider Festival, is held at Hull Minster, the largest parish church in England.

Plan you visit to include one of Hull’s many festivals

History

Not only did Hull spark the English Civil War, but it’s also the birthplace of slavery abolitionist William Wilberforce, aviatrix Amy Johnson and rock legend Mick Ronson. It also has unique cream-coloured phone boxes and hosts Europe’s oldest and largest travelling fair. ‘Rich in history’ is an understatement.

Poetry

Peter Porter called Hull ‘the city of poets’ as, most famous for Philip Larkin, the city was also home to Stevie Smith and Andrew Marvell. The University has links to several contemporary poets including Carol Rumens, Christopher Reid, Roger McGough and Andrew Motion, while Sean O’Brien, brought up in Hull, is an esteemed poet and playwright.

Spurn Point

There’s nowhere on earth quite like Spurn. A long stretch of sand extending four miles into the Humber Estuary, Spurn holds a rich maritime and military history and is now a renowned wildlife haven. The iconic nature reserve offers breathtaking views of seabirds in migration in spring and autumn.

Kids

There’s always something to do. Take them to marvel at the unfathomable at The Deep or visit Hull’s Museums Quarter to discover all things past. Failing that, walk to Little Swiss, part of a national trail walk and area of outstanding beauty, then down to Hessle Foreshore and the iconic Humber Bridge.

Sport

Hull is home to Hull City Tigers, their ascent – with characteristic doggedness – from the third division to the Premier League in five seasons being the third-fastest ever. Hull is now in the Championship League. Rugby league fans – Hull FC or Hull Kingston Rovers – are more used to top-flight action.

Food and drink

The Michelin-starred Pipe and Glass in South Dalton and Whites in the heart of Beverley are among the restaurants guaranteed to impress. Pubs are aplenty, and in Beverley The White Horse Inn – known as Nellie’s – is more than worth a visit.

Scenery

No matter what kind of scenery you’re after, the East Riding has it. From the luxuriously unhurried Wolds to the sweeping coastline of Bridlington and Flamborough, you don’t have to travel far to find glorious countryside or miles of beach. With glorious, gently undulating hills, perfect for picnics, and picture postcard villages with landscaped gardens and ponds aplenty, this pretty stretch of Yorkshire countryside is not to be missed.

Enjoy the region’s fantastic countryside any way you please

David Hockney

Bridlington-based Hockney is credited with bringing worldwide publicity to the local area. His ‘A Bigger Picture’ exhibition put the Yorkshire Wolds on the global map for artists as well as tourists, showcasing the rolling chalk hills and valleys of his native East Yorkshire in, as The Guardian describes, “sweet shop colours”.

Spirit

Hullensians are an unpretentious, welcoming, straight-talking lot who share their time freely with a smile; hence the city being voted ‘happiest place to live in the north’ in a survey.

Read more about Hull and East Yorkshire