Building a fortress
WORKS SET TO START ON HULL’S HENRY VIII BLOCKHOUSE ATTRACTION
WORKS are soon set to begin on a new attraction on the site of a Tudor fortress with a planned completion date also set.
The South Blockhouse, a wire and mesh reconstruction of parts of a fortress built during Henry VIII’S reign, is set to move to its delivery stage following a council decision. A Hull City Council decision record stated they aimed to finish the project within a year, with a proposed end date set for Monday, March 31 2025.
Council Regeneration Portfolio Holder Cllr Paul Drake-davis said the setting of a finishing date would allow the fantastic project to move forward. It comes after the National Lottery Heritage Fund agreed to provide a £250,000 grant for the project.
The South Blockhouse is part of the wider Hull Maritime project which includes the refurbishment of the Maritime Museum and the creation of the Arctic Corsair visitor attraction. The fortress attraction is also being backed by £1m from National Highways as part of its improvement works to the A63.
Plans for the South Blockhouse, near The Deep, will be recreated in metal to help give visitors a sense of the scale of the defensive structure which once stood there. The council previously stated that works were expected to begin this summer.
The South Blockhouse once formed part of Hull Castle which was built from 1541-3 on the orders of Henry VIII to improve Hull’s defences. It overlooked the River Hull and protected the city’s harbour and featured a stone tower and gun platforms for cannons.
The structure became part of Hull Citadel in the 17th century but the fortifications were torn down in 1864 as the city expanded during the Industrial Revolution. An archaeological dig took place at the site in the summer of 2022, unearthing the remains or walls, earthworks and a cannon.
The South Blockhouse attraction will aim to tell the stories of the people who lived at and manned the fortress for three centuries. The council has also commissioned artworks for the attraction to help visitors learn about the site.