The Old Town boasts some of the best Hull pubs. So whether you're a student fresher just arrived in the city or a real ale fan looking for a new haunt, here's a pub crawl through Hull's history with nine of the best bars. Scroll down for a map of locations.![Six0w]()
The Minerva, Nelson Street (1)
The Minerva pub was built in the 1820s not long after Humber Dock was dug in 1809 and was originally a hotel serving the passengers landing at the nearby Steam Packet Landing. It's named after the Roman goddess of wisdom, hence the wise owl on the buildings façade. Inside the pub's proximity to the estuary is emphasised with displays of nautical pictures and maps.The Mission, Posterngate (2)
The Seamen's Mission was built in 1886 and was used as a place of leisure and repose by sailors. It was ideally placed opposite the red bricked offices of the Local Marine Board where sailors would have to sign on and get paid off when going to sea.
It was extended in 1926-7 to form the Mariners' Church of the Good Shepherd and you can still admire this heritage through the original stained glass windows and pews.The Bonny Boat, Trinity House Lane (3)
The pub takes its name from the real Eskimo and canoe effigy which hangs from the ceiling in nearby Trinity House. The pair were spotted, exhausted and close to death, off Greenland by Captain Andrew Barker of Trinity House in 1613.
Taken aboard the man subsequently died, but Barker brought back the boat which is one of three craft hanging from The Canoe Room in Trinity House today.The George Hotel, Land of Green Ginger (4)
The George Hotel dates back to the late 18th century and would have offered a night's leisure and rest to merchants and seamen mooring at newly opened Dock of 1778. Its chief attraction today is its hosting of the country's smallest window, used as a lookout for arriving coaches. Inside, lead windows and an abundance of wooden panelling inside help conjure up the spirit of those bygone years.Ye Olde White Harte, Silver Street (5)
Hull's most famous pub might or might not have been the location of the historic decision to refuse Charles I entry into the town - most scholars suggest the 'decision' in question referred to the plot to unseat the Catholic leaning Governor of the town in December 1688 - but with its narrow entrance, intimate courtyard and darkly gnarled furniture, it remains an atmospheric place to take a tipple. Ye Olde Corn Exchange, Market Place (6)
This pub does indeed sit upon the former site of a corn exchange which took place in an open yard behind the North Church Side/Market place frontages from the late 17th century. From the late 18th century a wine and spirits merchant occupied this frontage, but in 1913 this business closed and the owner converted the warehouse into a luncheon bar called The Corn Exchange Buffet, a function it has remained ever since.![hawkes]()
Hawkes, Scale Lane (7)
This low ceilinged pub, pictured above, takes its name from William Hawkes, a gunmaker (and dentist!) who manufactured bespoke guns and rifles at the premises from 1810, taking over the previous business of William Bottomley, who was one of just two registered gunsmiths in Hull at the end of the 18th century.
Reminders of this heritage are widely displayed (unloaded) around the pub.Ye Olde Black Boy, High Street (8)
Dating back to around 1720, The Black Boy is one of the city's oldest pubs so it is no surprise that the inside of the pub is long and narrow, a reminder of how the medieval tenements in Hull were originally arranged.
The pub's name probably comes from reference to an Indian Chief who was the sign of a tobacco or snuff seller or pipemaker.The Lion & Key, High Street (9)
The present public house dates back to 1812 when the Britannia Coffee House stood on the site, serving not only tea and coffee but also wine, spirits and food. It was renamed The Lion and Key public house shortly afterwards when Wellington captured Ciudad Rodrigo in the Peninsular War. This town was considered to be the 'key' to Spain and the pub sign outside depicted a British lion with a large key in its paws.![Six0]()
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The Minerva, Nelson Street (1)
The Minerva pub was built in the 1820s not long after Humber Dock was dug in 1809 and was originally a hotel serving the passengers landing at the nearby Steam Packet Landing. It's named after the Roman goddess of wisdom, hence the wise owl on the buildings façade. Inside the pub's proximity to the estuary is emphasised with displays of nautical pictures and maps.The Mission, Posterngate (2)
The Seamen's Mission was built in 1886 and was used as a place of leisure and repose by sailors. It was ideally placed opposite the red bricked offices of the Local Marine Board where sailors would have to sign on and get paid off when going to sea.
It was extended in 1926-7 to form the Mariners' Church of the Good Shepherd and you can still admire this heritage through the original stained glass windows and pews.The Bonny Boat, Trinity House Lane (3)
The pub takes its name from the real Eskimo and canoe effigy which hangs from the ceiling in nearby Trinity House. The pair were spotted, exhausted and close to death, off Greenland by Captain Andrew Barker of Trinity House in 1613.
Taken aboard the man subsequently died, but Barker brought back the boat which is one of three craft hanging from The Canoe Room in Trinity House today.The George Hotel, Land of Green Ginger (4)
The George Hotel dates back to the late 18th century and would have offered a night's leisure and rest to merchants and seamen mooring at newly opened Dock of 1778. Its chief attraction today is its hosting of the country's smallest window, used as a lookout for arriving coaches. Inside, lead windows and an abundance of wooden panelling inside help conjure up the spirit of those bygone years.Ye Olde White Harte, Silver Street (5)
Hull's most famous pub might or might not have been the location of the historic decision to refuse Charles I entry into the town - most scholars suggest the 'decision' in question referred to the plot to unseat the Catholic leaning Governor of the town in December 1688 - but with its narrow entrance, intimate courtyard and darkly gnarled furniture, it remains an atmospheric place to take a tipple. Ye Olde Corn Exchange, Market Place (6)
This pub does indeed sit upon the former site of a corn exchange which took place in an open yard behind the North Church Side/Market place frontages from the late 17th century. From the late 18th century a wine and spirits merchant occupied this frontage, but in 1913 this business closed and the owner converted the warehouse into a luncheon bar called The Corn Exchange Buffet, a function it has remained ever since.
Hawkes, Scale Lane (7)
This low ceilinged pub, pictured above, takes its name from William Hawkes, a gunmaker (and dentist!) who manufactured bespoke guns and rifles at the premises from 1810, taking over the previous business of William Bottomley, who was one of just two registered gunsmiths in Hull at the end of the 18th century.
Reminders of this heritage are widely displayed (unloaded) around the pub.Ye Olde Black Boy, High Street (8)
Dating back to around 1720, The Black Boy is one of the city's oldest pubs so it is no surprise that the inside of the pub is long and narrow, a reminder of how the medieval tenements in Hull were originally arranged.
The pub's name probably comes from reference to an Indian Chief who was the sign of a tobacco or snuff seller or pipemaker.The Lion & Key, High Street (9)
The present public house dates back to 1812 when the Britannia Coffee House stood on the site, serving not only tea and coffee but also wine, spirits and food. It was renamed The Lion and Key public house shortly afterwards when Wellington captured Ciudad Rodrigo in the Peninsular War. This town was considered to be the 'key' to Spain and the pub sign outside depicted a British lion with a large key in its paws.• For the ideal way to start or finish your historic Hull pub crawl, use Six 0 Cars your safe and reliable local taxi company
