Bulldozers begin demolition of Wellington House and Ruscadors pub in Hull's Fruit Market

Demolition work has started at two neighbouring sites in Hull's Fruit Market. Crowds gathered to watch as a giant crane began to tear down the upper floors of Wellington House at the junction of Queen Street and Wellington Street. The Victorian landmark building will make way for a new development as part of the wider proposed facelift for the Fruit Market area. Just yards away, a small bulldozer was pulling down the external walls of the former Ruscadors pub. The site of the pub, which closed earlier this year, is included in a new £15m regeneration scheme featuring a new business centre for start-up digital and technology firms, which is due to open in 2015. The C4Di project will also include a new public amphitheatre in the former Central Dry Dock overlooking the River Hull.

Ruscadors pub also being bulldozed today in #Hull Fruit Market pic.twitter.com/7PadvCSq2D

— angus young (@angus_young61) August 14, 2014

City council officials had originally hoped to convert Wellington House into new housing. City councillor Steven Bayes, portfolio holder for visitor destination, said the decision to demolish it had not been taken lightly. He said: "There has been a constant aim to preserve and reinvigorate the original fabric of this very special building. It is with great regret that Hull has had to say goodbye to Wellington House and I want to assure the public that Hull City Council has exhausted all possibilities in refurbishing the building." Wellington House was designed by the celebrated Hull-born architect Cuthbert Brodrick, the man behind Leeds Town Hall and the Leeds Corn Exchange. It was used as a hotel and lodging house with shops on the ground floor. But the poor internal condition of the building forced the council to rethink the idea earlier this year. The authority also abandoned plans to hand-strip the building floor by floor in a bid to retain some of its original architectural features when concerns over its structural stability grew. It was thought pressure from scaffolding erected around the building to provide access to the upper floors had caused further instability. Cllr Bayes said: "To lose Wellington House, an impressive Victorian building from an important local architect, is a loss to the city of Hull. Our only hope to remit the loss is to preserve what we can of the building and look forward to rebuilding in the spirit and memory of Cuthbert Brodrick as a fitting memorial to his foresight and talent. "However, public safety is paramount and due to the various detailed surveys carried out we had to make this difficult decision as a last resort." Some hand-stripping work at the northern section of the building next to Pier Court was carried out before mechanical demolition started this week. The council has worked with English Heritage, the Government's statutory body on the historic environment, over Wellington House. Kerry Babington, inspector of historic buildings and areas at English Heritage, said: "We visited the building and provided advice to the council on the options available to them given the condition of the building. We understand that since our visit there was a further deterioration of the structure. "Although total demolition is regrettable we understand the situation." Architectural features retrieved from the building will be placed in storage. In addition, a photographic and historical research report was commissioned before the main demolition phase to permanently preserve its many historic details. Compiled by Humber Field Archaeology, the report will be lodged as an official entry in the Humber Sites and Monuments Record.