Handsome homes for the wealthy
TODAY it is Hull’s most diverse road, reflecting the way of life and tastes of people from around the globe.
It’s a far cry from a century or more ago when Spring Bank was the home of the town’s local wealthy, their homes lining a street that boasted a central area of trees either side of the road.
Spring Bank was named after the Spring Dyke, often also referred to as the Spring Ditch, which had carried water from Springhead to Hull and which ran through the centre of “this broad highway”.
At one time the dyke was said to be “arched over and a line of lime trees planted over it.“these
trees, each of which is protected by an iron palisading improve in appearance as you get farther from the town and add greatly to the beauty of this pleasing suburban road.
“Seats are placed at intervals under these trees for the convenience of pedestrians.”
A reminder of those years remains to this day with the General Cemetery on Spring Bank, which opened in 1847.
The 20-acre site was said to have been attractively laid out and “acquired the nature of a quiet park before parks became regarded as essential public amenities.”
Opposite the cemetery once lay the Botanic Gardens, which covered about 34 acres of
lawns and flower beds.
One record of 1891 said: “There are greenhouses filled with a choice collection of plants and a lake of three-anda-half acres.
Twenty-two acres of the gardens were sold to the Corporation for the site of Hymer’s College, which by the end of the 19th Century was about to be erected with money left by Dr Hymers, the Rector of Brandesburton.
The college was said to be for “the training of intelligence in whatsoever rank of life it may be found”.
At the corner of Spring Bank and Princes Avenue stood the Botanic Gardens Station.
Spring Bank of that time was also a centre for religion, having five churches and chapels along its length.
One-hundred-and-twenty years ago Prince’s Avenue was described as “a handsome boulevard, ornamented with trees and massive fountains and lined on one side with modern detached mansions displaying almost every style of modern domestic architecture.”
IT WAS just another house in a street of fine homes. But No
150 Spring Bank became well known for another reason when, in World War One, it was the headquarters of a
city-wide organisation that brought comfort and help to serving soldiers.
Known as Peel House, the site, today the address of modern apartments, was the base of the Voluntary Aid Detachments of Hull and the East Riding with Lady Nunburnholme as its president.
From here were organised the first three wartime hospitals to be started in Hull, the Rest Station Canteen in Paragon Station and the campaign to send food and other necessities to prisoners of war.
During the conflict it despatched 130,000 Red Cross parcels to men overseas.
Historian Thomas Sheppard wrote: “The work was very difficult, but the organisers and devoted packers and helpers had their reward in the many letters and expressions of gratitude from the men and their relatives all bearing testimony to the fact that but for this help from home they would never have lived to return. Helping with this effort were principals and proprietors of local schools.
“Typical community help came from the Freehold Bread Fund, based in nearby Freehold Street, off Spring Bank. Residents raised money to provide bread for prisoners of war, large quantities being sent to Peel House.”