It's a big city miles from anywhere beside a huge river. And it's got plenty of history and points of interest as one of our major ports. And it's got some wonderful pubs and bars. Lots of them. And so I've paid another visit...
I had been thinking of re-visiting Hull for some time, and then a few conversations with people who had been recently persuaded me that it was time to return there for the first time since 2022. It helps that there is a direct hourly service that starts from Halifax, the journey taking about an hour and forty minutes, with over an hour of it being through the increasingly flat land and big skies once it has got beyond Leeds. The train was actually slightly delayed en route so, having left Halifax around 11.15, it was after one when it pulled into Hull's Paragon Station, having taken us alongside the mighty river Humber and past the impressive Humber Bridge which was the longest single span bridge in the world when it was built.
I walked out of the station on to the busy sunlit street, many of those around me seemingly heading for the nearby St Stephen's Shopping Centre. I meanwhile headed down Ferensway in the opposite direction, and turned left at a junction where I found the first pub of the day, situated next to the headquarters of KCom, formerly known as Kingston Communications, the headquarters of Hull's independent telephone network, whose cream phone boxes are a feature of the city. This was the Admiral of the Humber, a large Wetherspoons hotel which takes its name from the title traditionally bestowed upon the Lord Mayor of Hull. It was extremely busy, and whilst there was nothing wrong with the half of Great Newsome Sleck Dust I ordered (NBSS 3), I did wonder why when there are so many riches in the city's extensive estate of pubs why this had been selected for the Guide. I'd called in incidentally just to get my bearings and plan my the next move, before you ask!
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| The Admiral of the Humber |
A few minutes later, Rizwan was driving me along the busy streets to the Avenues area in the north-western suburbs of the city. I decided that with pubs I'd not visited before being scattered around the city rather than being in a compact area I would use Uber to get me around. After passing a number of interesting pubs and other buildings and driving down narrow streets of houses, my taxi dropped me off on the leafy Princes Avenue, where there were a number of bars and restaurants alongside a number of independent shops and a Sainsburys local. Here I'd earmarked a couple of places to visit, a bar listed in the Good Beer Guide but first up and just along the road, a brewery taproom.
I walked towards Atom Bar Hull, which is a solid-looking flat-iron shaped building which is based in a former branch of Yorkshire Bank. Several tables in front of the bar were occupied by customers enjoying the warm sunshine. A sign in a panel above the windows proclaims The Science of Brewing, a nod to the scientific names given to Atom's beers by Allan and Sarah, the two scientists who set up the company in 2014, and to the brewing process itself. This is the second home for the brewery's taproom, having re-located here in 2022 from the previous site in the historic Corn Exchange in the Old Town. I walked in, there was a food servery opposite the entrance with a kitchen beyond, and then it was a right turn to the light and airy pleasantly-decorated single room bar with a glass door at the prow end of the building. There were several people sat around enjoying a drink, some with food, whilst some of the unoccupied light wood tables had reservations for later in the afternoon. I walked up to the bar, which was being operated by a couple of friendly and welcoming young ladies.
Atom do brew some cask beer but this is a keg-only bar, the line-up featuring a number of Atom beers along with guests from Deya and Verdant. I decided to stick with the hosts, so I went for a half of a 4.5% hazy pale DDH called Microevolution, which was very good. All the tables had a menu on them and the two friends I had been speaking to the following evening had said how good the food was here. So as I enjoyed my beer my eyes kept glancing over the menu and a few minutes later I returned to the bar and ordered a beef brisket burger, comprising an 8oz beef pattie, slow roasted brisket, mozzarella & pattie bites served with fries and onion rings, along with a half of the 4.2% hazy session pale Quantum State.
The food duly arrived. It was absolutely delicious and the onion rings were the best I have ever had, and it all set me up nicely for the rest of the afternoon. (They also had some huge scotch eggs on sale made with spicy Italian nduja sausage and I bought one to take out which I ate on the train back. It was amazing!) I ordered a half of the Catalyst, a 5.4% American Pale Ale which was another great beer. I really enjoyed myself at Atom, and can say it is well worth the trip out from the centre.
Meanwhile, just down the road is a GBG entry, Pave, which is essentially a neighbourhood cafe bar. Plenty were sat outside as I arrived, whilst inside the cavernous single room bar it was quiet. Four handpumps on the bar featured three North Riding beers and a cider, and so I plumped for a pint of the 4.5% Citra, North Riding very rarely delivering anything other than great beers. And this single hop beer was on top form, refreshing and flavoursome and the best pint of the day thus far (NBSS 3.5). Inside it was a little bit short on atmosphere so I went to sit at one of the tables outside to enjoy my beer where I watched the constantly changing scene in this very pleasant part of the city of Hull.
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| And here's Pave on Princes Avenue.... |
I booked an Uber to take me to my next destination, something of an outlier on Hessle Road. Ian was my driver this time, a local man who was able to fill me on some details as we weaved in, out, and around several sets of roadworks. We passed the site of Hull Fair, where every October the country's largest travelling funfair pitches up, and then, after skirting around the sprawling site of medical firm Smith & Nephew, we turned down a dead-end street with access to the busy Hessle Road blocked off where the next pub was lying in wait.
And what a pub it was. The Alexandra Hotel (opening image) is a beautiful old Victorian brick and tile building with the name featured in the tiling, although lettering in the brick above the upstairs windows has it as the Alexandra Palace Club Hotel. The pub was built in 1895 for Hull Brewery who were large players on the local scene and beyond. They ceased brewing in 1985 after being taken over by Mansfield Brewery and their former brewery in the city centre has since been converted into apartments. Their legacy lives on in a number of former pubs across the city such as the Manchester Arms, the Polar Bear, the Vauxhall Tavern, and Whittington & Cat. The Alexandra, which re-opened in 2019 after being closed for several years meanwhile is a Grade ll listed with an interior of special national interest, although when I walked in much of the historic bar back was obscured by a sea of bodies of a certain age who were huddled around the bar as if their lives depended on it. They were a friendly lot though and parted to let me see the bar. As I was weighing up options a lady piped up "this one's been selling well" pointing at a pump clip for Dragon Slayer from Milestone Brewery. And why not, I thought. So I ordered a pint and as I walked away to find a seat she said "don't blame me if you don't like it." She needn't have worried, it was a 4.4% blonde citrus beer that was full of flavour and in great condition (NBSS 3.5).
I went to the loo which gave me the opportunity to have a look around the rest of what is quite a sprawling pub. A group of musicians were about to play in a room at the back of pub, whilst in a large open area at the side of the bar a buffet was laid out on a table, possibly for the musicians and entourage. The rooms featured dark wood panelling but it was the bar that was the highlight of what was a very friendly and welcoming pub. With it being a bit on a limb and to avoid a wasted journey please be mindful of the fact that it only opens from Thursdays to Sundays and even then the hours are limited. But it is definitely a pub that you should go to if you can.
I called another Uber, this time bound for the Old Town. I got dropped off at another former Hull Brewery pub, the White Hart on Alfred Gelder St, which re-opened in 2018 after being closed for many years. It has a striking frontage with fine stonework with spectacular mock Tudor upper levels with a stone balustrade. It is inside though where the pub reveals its most spectacular features, with a beautifully-preserved front lounge which boasts a fine mahogany back-fitting with glazed-towered cupboards along with a stunning curved green and yellow ceramic-fronted bar counter, designed by Burmantofts of Leeds, which is just like the one in the Garden Gate in Leeds, although there is another one in Hull at the Polar Bear, which is now more of a music venue than a pub.
I walked in and immediately spotted a couple of familiar faces. As has happened before this year, Tom from Shipley and Chris from Bradford who always join our Good Friday trips had unwittingly had the same idea as me and decided to visit the same place at the same time. You can't go anywhere, we all said! So I grabbed a pint of Sleck Dust from Great Newsome and went to join them, discussing where we had been over the course of the day. The beer was in excellent condition, probably the best pint of the day (NBSS 3.5). The staff whilst pleasant enough were more formal than some of the places I'd been earlier, probably reflecting the fact that we were in the Old Town where the visitors are more transient. And this spectacular pub is one you shouldn't miss.
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| A couple of familiar faces |
I left the boys and we went out separate ways, they were bound for the Minerva whilst I was heading to another new pub to me, the Scale & Feather which is new in the Good Beer Guide this year. Situated a few minutes walk away on Scale Lane in the heart of the Old Town it is a traditional pub with a more modern interior and a regularly changing line up of 4 cask beers and a number of keg beers. I ordered a half of Farmers Bitter from Three Acres brewery who are based in Sussex, which was quite pleasant without being anything special. It wasn't a bad pub either, but after some of the places I'd been earlier it was rather less interesting.
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| Scale & Feather |
I didn't have a lot of time left before the train, but I managed a quick half of Pennine Keep the Faith (NBSS 3) at the historic Good Beer Guide listed George. I had been in before when it had been really quiet but today it was full of Old Town visitors hopping from one of the many bars and pubs of all persuasions that line the streets around here. So it was noisy, uncomfortable, and not conducive to enjoying a beer. So I drank up quickly and left.
From there I headed out of the Old Town in the direction of the station, calling in for a final half of the trip at the Hop & Vine en route. It was a shame I didn't have longer to linger at this popular and welcoming cellar bar. I ordered a half of Palomino Rising, a 5% strong pale ale from Bank Top and had a quick chat with Kelly, the bar manager who has worked there for a couple of years. Last time I'd had a good chat with Tony who is still in charge of proceedings. Another great place to visit when in the city.
I had to dash off as I had only a few minutes before the train left. I just made it to the station with a couple of minutes to spare and climbed on to the train. It had been an excellent day with some great pubs, good beer, and lovely people, and I won't leave it too long before I make a return visit to the city....
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