Thank you to everyone who has responded to our call out and joined our memory sharing sessions at Hull Maritime Museum, or on board the barges. All summer we have been listening to people’s fascinating stories of living and working on the River Hull over the years. We have been filming and recording so that the memories are not lost, but are there for that future generations to find out about this remarkable, and often overlooked part of Hull, it’s history and culture. We have been lucky enough to acquire some superb photographs of the River including a collection from the Hull Daily Mail. But it is the real stories from the people that bring them to life. We are now digitising the photos, transcribing the audio, editing the films and preparing the stories for a book, film and exhibition. In the meantime here is a collection of some enchanting stories. Scroll down the page and click on the text under a picture below to visit the story page. The header photograph above is by photographer David Morris from his 1971 collection The River We Once Knew.
The end of our What Makes the Humber journey finishes here, at Spurn. It was going to be a blisteringly hot June summer’s day elsewhere but with a few degrees less from a small amount of cloud cover forecast for Spurn in the morning we got there at 8 am. The last time we explored … Continue reading 10. Spurn The chemical works at Saltend is flanked by Old Fleet to the north and Hedon Haven to the south. The last chapter of the journey starts at Burstwick drain and Hedon Haven then continues south to Paull and then south east along the Holderness coast. From Cherry Cob Sands we head to Stoney Creek and … Continue reading 9. Hedon Haven and Holderness Hessle Haven, River Hull, Holderness Drain and Old Fleet In this chapter, we explore the Humber from Hessle Haven’s Fleet Beck to Old Fleet that forms part of Hull’s border with Holderness to the East. The gallery below starts at Hessle Haven and moves down the Humber, east to the River Hull and beyond to … Continue reading 8. Hessle Haven, River Hull, Holderness Drain and Old Fleet At the beginning – or end – of the Humber sits Whitton Sand hiding a channel to Weighton Lock and the Market Weighton Canal. To the north the River Foulness joins the Market Weighton Canal somewhere between North America and The Land of Nod. Up the Foulness lies Hasholme and the site of the discovery … Continue reading 7. The Market Weighton Canal, River Foulness and Crabley Creek The River Ouse meets the River Trent at Trent Falls, this confluence is where the Humber begins and ends. We’ve explored the Ouse and it’s confluences from barge, train and aeroplane and this chapter goes some way to explain why What Makes the Humber is an on-going project. This chapter covers the rivers Ouse, Aire, … Continue reading 6. The River Ouse and it’s Confluences Whitton and Alkborough mark centuries of occupation from Roman villas and Anglo-Saxon cemteries to the mystical Julian’s Bower turf maze on The Cliff that overlooks Alkborough Flats. The Nev Cole Way runs along The Cliff to it’s beginning – St Andrews church at Burton on Stather. This is where we discovered the Nev Cole Way … Continue reading 5. The Nev Cole Way – Whitton, Alkborough, River Trent and Burton Stather Leaving Barton and up onto the Humber Bridge with the Humber tide low exposing the shoreline and the path – the Nev Cole Way – we follow the Humber to Chowder Ness and beyond, to the New River Ancholme and South Ferriby, this chapter’s destination, Whitton Ness. The Far Ings is a renowned bird watchers … Continue reading 4. The Nev Cole Way – The Far Ings to Whitton Ness Walking west on the Nev Cole Way, New Holland’s terminal still retains the railway that took ferry passengers from Hull to explore the south bank. On this journey there are so many detours that could be taken inland to investigate the wealth of history on this side of the Humber. From the motte and bailey … Continue reading 3. The Nev Cole Way – New Holland, Barrow and Barton The Nev Cole Way is a 57 mile walk, starting at Burton-on-Stather (on the Trent) which finishes at Nettleton in Lincolnshire. The path joins the coast at North Killingholme and we picked it up there and headed north-west rounding Skitter Ness and east along the Humber to Whitton turning south along The Cliff above Alkborough … Continue reading 2. The Nev Cole Way – North Killingholme to Goxhill Haven Our journey starts on the south bank of the Humber at it’s most western point. We’re going to head west, along the Nev Cole Way to the Trent and up the Ouse and then back east down the north bank of the Humber to Holderness. We arrived at the canalised River Lud, now Louth Canal … Continue reading 1. The River Lud, Buck Beck and River Freshney My father Philip McNally worked for James W Cooks Tankers, with offices in Bowlalley lane in Hull. The manager was called Mr Cobby. The firm’s main operations were shipbuilding and lighterage at Wivenhoe in Essex. They established the oil tanker barges side of the business at Hull many years ago. All of their barges were … Continue reading George ‘Mac’ McNally – This Barging Life The latest chapter in our Open Bridges project is ‘Goole by Barge‘. The exhibition of 60 photographs and three videos and music documenting our two day journey on the working barge, the George Dyson was at Goole Museum and Gallery between Feburary 9th and April 13th 2024. Following the exibition we would like to thank … Continue reading Goole By Barge Goole by Train Videos My husband and fellow band partner Rich and I were invited, as part of our Open Bridges project, to produce photographs and art content about the renovation of the railway swing bridge over the Ouse at Goole. With this in mind we travelled both to and from Saltmarshe to Thorne, either … Continue reading Goole By Train This page has been transcribed from the published minutes and meeting of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers chaired by William Armstrong in 1869. Sir William describes his hydraulic design and construction of the brand new railway swing bridge built over the River Ouse at Goole for North Eastern Railways’ network link to Hull. I’ve transcribed … Continue reading Railway Swing Bridge over The Ouse at Goole 1869 The railway swing-bridge over the River Ouse at Goole was designed by Sir William Armstrong and opened in 1869. Its Grade II listed and has a couple of different names: Hook Bridge (if you come from Hook) and the Skelton Viaduct (if you live in Skelton) but if you’re on a train it’s more than … Continue reading Railway Swing Bridge over the Ouse at Goole 2023 – the Engine Room The railway swing-bridge over the River Ouse at Goole was designed by Sir William Armstrong and opened in 1869. It’s Grade II listed and has a couple of different names: Hook Bridge (if you come from Hook) and the Skelton Viaduct (if you live in Skelton) but if you’re on a train it’s more than … Continue reading Railway Swing Bridge over the Ouse at Goole 2023 Hull’s River Bridges: Ennerdale Link Photographs by Rich & Lou Duffy-Howard The most recent and northerly of Hull’s (road) River Bridges opened on April 3rd 1997 aimed to ease traffic and improve access to the docks in the east of the city, the original idea being a tunnel under the river. The first plan in … Continue reading 1 Ennerdale Link Sutton Road Bridge 1937 Sutton Road Bridge is a Scherzer type rolling bascule bridge, built by the Cleveland Bridge and Engineering Company and opened on 8 July 1937, to complete the Corporation’s ring road at the time. The photograph, on the left below, from Britain from Above shows the new Sutton Road taking shape in … Continue reading 2 Sutton Road Bridge Stoneferry Bridge Stoneferry Bridge, like Ennerdale Link, is actually two bascule bridges, working independently and each carrying two lanes of traffic. Built between 1988 and completed on 23rd July 1991, they replaced the original swing bridge built in 1905. The website Structurae notes they are “twin Shadoof-type bascule bridges with 32 meter counterbalanced counter levers. … Continue reading 3 Stoneferry Bridge Stoneferry Swing Bridge 1905 Stoneferry swing bridge was built by the Motherwell Bridge Company and opened in 1905 to replace the existing ferry. Lots of us can remember driving over this wonderful old swing bridge before it was replaced by the two Shadoof-type lifting bascule bridges in 1991. The plans show the original opening and … Continue reading 4 Stoneferry 1905 The Hull and Barnsley Railway Swing Bridge The Hull and Barnsley Railway Swing Bridge was built in 1885 over the River Hull on Bankside. It is still in use, carrying freight to and from King George and Queen Elizabeth Docks. The bridge and its operating cabin are Grade II listed. The bridge can be seen … Continue reading 5 Railway Bridge Wilmington Railway Swing Bridge, 1907, Wincolmlee Hull City Records Office (TSJ 28) describes Wilmington as: “a swing railway bridge, now a footbridge, spanning the River Hull. Circa 1870 and 1905, for the North Eastern Railway. Converted and restored in 1991. Arch topped riveted wrought-iron girders form the span, which is carried on a roller bearing … Continue reading 6 Wilmington Bridge Wilmington SWing Bridge, 1853 This was the original wrought iron railway swing bridge, erected by Thomas Cabry in 1853, to carry the Victoria, or East Dock, Railway over the River Hull from Sculcoates in the west to Wilmington in the east, destined for the eastern docks in Hull (Engineering, 1908). Due to it being 1853, … Continue reading 7 Wilmington Bridge 1853 Sculcoates Bridge 1875 “In exercise of powers vested in them by the ‘Local Government Supplemental Act 1871 (No.4)’, the Board of Trade approve of the bridge which the Kingston-Upon-Hull Local Board of Health propose to construct across the River Hull, as shown by the plan and sections on this drawing and on the annexed drawings. … Continue reading 8 Sculcoates Bridge Sculcoates, The Engineer, April 1875 This article was published in the Engineer, in London on the evening of April 2nd 1875 and is reproduced here along with the two original engravings. The aerial photographs of the bridge, below the article, are from 1937 and 1947, and the map above is from 1891 and published with … Continue reading 9 Sculcoates – The Engineer 1875 Scott Street Bridge The original Scott Street Bridge plans date from 1900 and show a beautiful attention to detail. The diagram showing access to the nose bolt locking mechanism by use of Simon D40 hydraulic platform with west cantilever raised through angle of 30° is circa 1983. The photographs below the plans show the working … Continue reading 10 Scott Street Bridge The New North Bridge 1931 North Bridge is a Scherzer rolling bascule bridge, designed by City Engineer, T Thomas in 1927, built by the Widnes Foundry (1925) Ltd., with Sculcoates firm Sangwin contracted for the tramway. It opened on Monday 10th August 1931, for motor transport, trams and foot crossings. We’ve restored the original diagrams … Continue reading 11 North Bridge North Bridge 1870 The old North Bridge was given a nice send off in the Souvenir Programme of the new North Bridge on 10th August 1931, it read: “The existing North Bridge over the River Hull is on the main artery of communication from West Hull to East Hull and Holderness. It is supplemented by … Continue reading 12 Old North Bridge The New North Bridge Monday 10th August, 1931 In 1926 Parliament gave the go-ahead for the construction of a new four track bridge to be built on the straight line of a new street from Charlotte Street to Witham. The new street was called George Street. George Street, Charlotte Street and North Bridge, 14th May, … Continue reading 13 The New North Bridge – A Souvenir Drypool Bridge Drypool bridge is a Scherzer-type rolling bascule bridge, constructed in 1961 to replace the earlier bridge from 1889. The first image below shows the plan for the new bridge as presented to Parliament for approval between 1951 and 1952. The plans have been restored from scans of the originals, and in Drypool’s case … Continue reading 14 Drypool Bridge Old Drypool 1889 There are a number of photographs of the original Drypool bridge, along with wonderful plans and description in the Engineer from 1890. However the images taken by Frank Drasdo, in colour, in the late 1950s, below, are remarkable. Thanks to Dave Drasdo for permission to publish his Uncle Frank’s photographs both here … Continue reading 15 Old Drypool Drypool Bridge – The Engineer 1890 The original bridge linking west and east Hull at Drypool was also known as Salthouse Lane Bridge. The article below, along with the engravings, is the original report as it was published in the Engineer, in London, on the evening of Friday 3rd January 1890. The map of the … Continue reading 16 Drypool Bridge – The Engineer 1890 Scale Lane Swing Bridge A good introduction to the latest of Hull’s River Bridges, at Scale Lane Staithe, is from the City Council’s Tourism page: “The first footbridge of its kind in the world to allow people to ride on it while it opens, the Scale Lane footbridge was officially opened by former Lord Mayor … Continue reading 17 Scale Lane Bridge Myton SWing Bridge 1980 Myton Bridge is a two-span single-pylon cable-stayed steel construction swing bridge designed by Freeman Fox and built by Redpath Dorman Long Ltd. It spans the River Hull at Castle Street carrying six lanes of traffic on the A63 and opened in December 1980. Its main span is 55 metres and has … Continue reading 18 Myton Bridge Millennium Swing Bridge Millennium Bridge is a bicycle and pedestrian single leaf, fan arranged cable-stayed, bascule bridge. (Source: Structurae) It is situated just south of where the earlier South Bridge was located and joins the Victoria Dock estate in East Hull with Victoria Pier, Humber Street and the marina in the west. The photographs in … Continue reading 19 Millennium Bridge Hull South Bridge Company 1886 South Bridge is somewhat of an enigma. It crossed the river roughly where the tidal barrier is, as can be traced through Victoria Dock’s South Bridge Road to link the east with the pier and ferries and markets of the west. It was built for the passage of pedestrians, horse … Continue reading 20 South Bridge Unravelling Banksy The Open Bridges exhibition opened inside Scale Lane Bridge and we welcomed 2000 visitors on Saturdays at the end of 2017 and early in 2018. As the exhibition was coming to a close a new street art work by Banksy titled “Draw The Raised Bridge!” appeared overnight on Scott Street Bridge. GraffitiStreet.com published … Continue reading 21 Banksy – Draw the Raised Bridge Joseph Cox – Bridges of the River Hull Joseph Cox is a graphic artist and illustrator based in Hull, East Yorkshire with 15 years’ experience in the creative industries. His work encompasses illustration, product design, graphic design, animation and print. Inspired by music, technology, architecture, his local surroundings, engineering and more. He gets particularly inspired … Continue reading 22 Joseph Cox – Bridges of The River Hull Pete Curry and George Parkes Pete Curry was the council’s Structures and Safety Manager and Bridge Engineer who co-ordinated and controlled the raising, closing and swinging of all the bridges for the original Open Bridges event in 2017. We asked Pete if he remembered the events captured from June 1977 by George Parkes in the … Continue reading 23 Drypool Crashes 1977 John Dean – Delivering Stoneferry and Other Stories We first met John during A River Full of Stories. His invitation to travel with him and shipmate Kevin on the George Dyson from Hull to York via Goole in january 2020 was a once in a lifetime experience which we’ll never forget. John runs the last … Continue reading 24 John Dean – Delivering Stoneferry & Other Stories Engines and Insects – Richard Duffy-Howard Engines and Insects started life with the hydraulics in the spine of Scale Bridge in 2017. The idea is not new. The premise follows the famous 20th century fashion photographer Horst P Horst. Away from the high glamour and sensual sophistication of taking photographs for Vogue, Horst’s personal project … Continue reading 25 Richard Duffy-Howard – Engines and Insects Keith and Trevor – Lightermen Keith and Trevor were Lightermen. They both joined the lighterage in Hull in 1960 and operated dumb barges (lighters), that is a barge without an engine and with only a pole to steer it, taking dry cargoes from the docks to the mills and wharfs on the river as far … Continue reading 26 Keith Eastwood and Trevor Branton – A Lighterman’s View Andy Hazell – Hull Fast Film 1992 and Grosvenor Mill “A long time ago I bought a four storey linseed crushing mill on the River Hull, Grosvenor Mill. It was built in 1828 and is a ‘loosely organised pile of bricks’. Ships and barges used to bring chemicals and oils to the factories upstream, which … Continue reading 27 Andy Hazell – Scott Street & Hull Fast Film Open Bridges: The Day the City Split in Two We commisioned Humber Film Creative Community and Octovision Media to make the Open Bridges film. It was filmed by 16 film makers who captured each bridge movement and from the MV Syntan as she sailed from Beverley to Hull on the night of the event when … Continue reading 28 Humber Film – Open Bridges 2017 Painting the Bridges in 1966 by Fred Leason “I was a painter for Hull Corporation for about six years or so, in the sixties. I painted anything. Parks was a good job, swings and roundabouts, the boats in East Park. I painted the girders in the roof of the indoor market. And the five storey flats … Continue reading 29 Fred Leason – Painting the Bridges 1966 Peter Marshall – River Hull’s Bridges 1977 – 1988 We came across photographer Peter Marshall when starting the book A River Full of Stories and discovered, via his Cafe Royal publication The River Hull 1977 – 85, an unrivalled body of work that documents the changing landscape of Hull from the early 1970s and his … Continue reading 30 Peter Marshall – River Hull’s Bridges 1977 – 1988 Jonathan McDowell – Scale Lane Bridge, Design & Construction Some memories of the genesis of the distinctive form of Scale Lane Bridge, which won McDowell+Benedetti and our team the competition for the new bridge back in 2005: “Having worked out that a ‘swing’ bridge would be the most economic type of opening bridge in this … Continue reading 31 Jonathan McDowell – Scale Lane Construction Nye Parry and Madi Boyd Playing the Bridge was an artistic commission and performance devised by bridge architect Jonathan McDowell and composer Nye Parry who are both Gamelan players – and coordinated here by Hull Gamelan’s Laurence Rugg. Playing the Bridge was a collaboration which transformed Hull’s Scale Lane Bridge into an interactive musical instrument as part of … Continue reading 32 Playing the Bridge – Part 1 Nye Parry and Madi Boyd Playing the Bridge was an inventive collaboration which transformed Hull’s Scale Lane Bridge into an interactive musical instrument as part of Hull 2017 City of Culture. It was the idea of bridge architect Jonathan McDowell who recognised that like the Gamelan, the bridge can be played by striking the metal work … Continue reading 33 Playing the Bridge – Part 2 Jack Pell – Iron Bridges “These sculptures depict six of Hull’s cast-iron bridges, two of which are no longer in existence. The inspiration to make sculptures from the bridges came from sitting in the back of the car on the way to my Dad’s work (he worked as a printer in Wincolmlee), I was always … Continue reading 34 Jack Pell – Iron Bridges Michael Pinsky – Symposium at Wilmington Bridge “Michael Pinsky is a British artist whose international projects challenge the status quo on climate change, urban design and societal wellbeing. He explores issues which shape and influence the use of our public realm to create ambitious and provocative installations in galleries and public spaces. Taking the combined roles of artist, urban … Continue reading 35 Michael Pinsky – Symposium Between Bridges – Les Reid Les Reid runs Newark’s unique Heritage Barge ‘Leicester Trader’. It is the last Trent size cargo barge built to fit the old locks of the Trent Navigation Company. Saved from being scrapped in 2008 and renovated by Les and a group of local barge aficionados, the dumb barge is now … Continue reading 36 Les Reid – Between Bridges Gary Saunt’s Dreamscapes Gary Saunt is a son of Grimsby, where in his youth he worked in the family smoke house business. He spent some of his free time in amateur boxing, however, his abiding interest had always been drawing and painting and he started Art School in 1967. He subsequently went on to Art … Continue reading 37 Gary Saunt – Dreamscapes Moments in Time – Music for a celebration… “I was commissioned by Lou and Richard Duffy-Howard to write a work for the Open Bridges event in 2017. The only requirement was its duration of 20 minutes and 17 seconds, reflecting the date and timing of the first performance. Its inception came whilst I was in … Continue reading 38 John Stead – Moments in Time The Broken Orchestra The Broken Orchestra is a UK-based creative collective, founded by musicians and producers Pat Dooner and Carl Conway-Davis in Hull around 2010. Originally an experimental studio project, it has evolved into a multidisciplinary ensemble creating ambient soundscapes, soundtracks, audio walking tours, sci-fi dramas, and live performances. Fair Winds and Following Seas In … Continue reading 39 The Broken Orchestra Angus Young – My Favourite BRIDge There’s something about a river and its bridges which fascinates me. Perhaps it’s because I grew up in Gateshead and would gaze in awe at the trendy Five Bridges Hotel every time we passed it on the bus heading for Newcastle on the other side of the Tyne. Opened … Continue reading 40 Angus Young – North Bridge Syd Young – Hull’s Bridges from a Bicycle Syd Young is an artist and photographer. His most recent exhibition – Relics and Rails – at Goole Museum and Gallery and Nordic House in Hull, was a multi-media retrospective of over 40 years’ work. The photographs below show how he’s captured the beauty of the river’s … Continue reading 41 Syd Young – Hull’s Bridges from a Bicycle The Impounding of the River Hull – Lutyens & Abercrombie A Plan for the City and County of Kingston Upon Hull “The River Hull is just as important as a “highway” for commerce as the roads and railways are highways serving the public, and as such the planner is concerned with its condition and use. … Continue reading 42 The Future – in 1945 Millennium Bridge by Qualter Hall Qualter Hall & Company were the lead MEICA engineering contractor for Scale Lane and Millennium Bridges and designed, built and installed the upgraded replacement drive mechanisms for Hull’s Tidal Barrier between 2008 and 2010. Thanks to George and Lisa at Qualter Hall, who have contributed the plans and technical drawings … Continue reading 43 Qualter Hall Millennium Bridge Painted Bridges – Mark Rodgers Mark is a traditional painter. Traditional in the sense that he paints ‘en plein air’ or in situ, outdoors, with easel, paint and brushes, open to the elements, stuck in the same place for hours and vulnerable to the interest and attention of passers by. Here Mark entertainingly recollects painting … Continue reading 44 Mark Rodgers – Painted Bridges 
10. Spurn
9. Hedon Haven and Holderness
8. Hessle Haven, River Hull, Holderness Drain and Old Fleet
7. The Market Weighton Canal, River Foulness and Crabley Creek
6. The River Ouse and it’s Confluences
5. The Nev Cole Way – Whitton, Alkborough, River Trent and Burton Stather
4. The Nev Cole Way – The Far Ings to Whitton Ness
3. The Nev Cole Way – New Holland, Barrow and Barton
2. The Nev Cole Way – North Killingholme to Goxhill Haven
1. The River Lud, Buck Beck and River Freshney
George ‘Mac’ McNally – This Barging Life
Goole By Barge
Goole By Train
Railway Swing Bridge over The Ouse at Goole 1869
Railway Swing Bridge over the Ouse at Goole 2023 – the Engine Room
Railway Swing Bridge over the Ouse at Goole 2023
1 Ennerdale Link
2 Sutton Road Bridge
3 Stoneferry Bridge
4 Stoneferry 1905
5 Railway Bridge
6 Wilmington Bridge
7 Wilmington Bridge 1853
8 Sculcoates Bridge
9 Sculcoates – The Engineer 1875
10 Scott Street Bridge
11 North Bridge
12 Old North Bridge
13 The New North Bridge – A Souvenir
14 Drypool Bridge
15 Old Drypool
16 Drypool Bridge – The Engineer 1890
17 Scale Lane Bridge
18 Myton Bridge
19 Millennium Bridge
20 South Bridge
21 Banksy – Draw the Raised Bridge
22 Joseph Cox – Bridges of The River Hull
23 Drypool Crashes 1977
24 John Dean – Delivering Stoneferry & Other Stories
25 Richard Duffy-Howard – Engines and Insects
26 Keith Eastwood and Trevor Branton – A Lighterman’s View
27 Andy Hazell – Scott Street & Hull Fast Film
28 Humber Film – Open Bridges 2017
29 Fred Leason – Painting the Bridges 1966
30 Peter Marshall – River Hull’s Bridges 1977 – 1988
31 Jonathan McDowell – Scale Lane Construction
32 Playing the Bridge – Part 1
33 Playing the Bridge – Part 2
34 Jack Pell – Iron Bridges
35 Michael Pinsky – Symposium
36 Les Reid – Between Bridges
37 Gary Saunt – Dreamscapes
38 John Stead – Moments in Time
39 The Broken Orchestra
40 Angus Young – North Bridge
41 Syd Young – Hull’s Bridges from a Bicycle
42 The Future – in 1945
43 Qualter Hall Millennium Bridge
44 Mark Rodgers – Painted Bridges
The idea for A River Full Of Stories came about when many of the 2000 visitors to the Open Bridges exhibition inside Scale Lane Bridge told us fascinating tales of their lives working on and around the river. A River Full Of Stories captures memories and stories to share with future generations through film, exhibition, website and a book for each library and museum in Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire. We’ve been collecting stories throughout July – October 2018 and are now preparing the River Full Of Stories film, exhibition and book. Click on the pictures to read the first stories…
Thank you to the River Full Of Stories team, Russ Litten, Phil Codd and Humber Film, Andy Richardson and to Beverley Barge Preservation Society, Historic Motor and Sail, Hull Maritime Museum and the Beverley Treasure House.
Open Bridges is an independent Hull/East Yorkshire based project.
Rich & Lou Duffy-Howard