Historic Hull site set to be turned into luxury flats
CUSTOMS HOUSE SECTION OF TRINITY HOUSE FACES REFURB
A NEW chapter is set to be written about a hidden part of Hull’s historic Trinity House estate.
Plans have been submitted by the ancient maritime charity to convert its old Customs House into three luxury apartments.
The Customs House was originally built in the 1790s and formed the west wing of the Neptune Inn, originally intended to be a flagship building for Trinity House fronting Whitefriargate in the city centre.
However, the hotel did not prove to be a financial success and only lasted 19 years.
When it closed, the Customs operation in the west wing was extended into the rest of the building and it remained that way until 1913 when Boots the chemist opened a shop and offices.
Around the same time, the ground floor of the west wing became a commercial shop and is currently occupied at ground level by The Works.
Now the charity has submitted a planning application to Hull City Council seeking consent to convert the wing’s unoccupied upper floors into residential use.
Frozen in time after not being in use for decades, the upper floor rooms include a host of original features including doors, period architraves, high skirting boards, decorative plaster rails, fireplaces, leaded decorative ceiling lightwells, staircases and original solid parquet flooring.
Under the conversion plans, nearly all of the original late 18th century features will be retained and, in many cases, restored to their former glory if repair work is required.
In addition, there will be a full refurbishment of existing exterior stonework on the building, including detailing which features two dates (1794 and 1920) marking the original build and later extension work.
If approved, it will be Trinity House’s first major residential conversion scheme since the charity’s former upper floor Friary Chambers office suite further along Whitefriargate was turned into flats more than a decade ago.
The buildings owned by Trinity House lie within a block between Whitrefriargte, Princes Dock Street and Posterngate.
They are collectively known as the Ferres estate after Thomas Ferres, who gifted the land to the Guild of Masters, Pilots and Seamen of Trinity House in 1641 and include the charity’s main administration offices, reception rooms, a private museum, a chapel and Zebedee’s Yard as well as several shops.
In a statement accompanying the planning application, the charity says: “The Hull Trinity House, like most property owners, are having to review the estate building stock and respond to the changing times affecting city centre retail areas.
“The buildings form part of the building stock portfolio of the Ferres Estate and have been selected for essential repairs and maintenance.
“These proposals will also form a response to the highlighted need for provision of quality city centre living accommodation, identified in Hull City Council’s regeneration strategy.
“These proposals will involve both restoration of key building features, butalso incorporate an element of conversion, in order to breathe new life into old structures, as well as to future proof the buildings for the charity’s estate portfolio.”
If approved, the new flats will all be one-bed apartments.