£1m awarded to help make Henry VIII's fortress in Hull a 'must-see attraction'

By Alexandra Wood
Published 24th May 2021, 16:45 BST
Updated 24th May 2021, 17:44 BST
The South Blockhouse commissioned by Henry VIII for the city of Hull's defences Credit: Hull History CentreThe South Blockhouse commissioned by Henry VIII for the city of Hull's defences Credit: Hull History Centre
The South Blockhouse commissioned by Henry VIII for the city of Hull's defences Credit: Hull History Centre
Archeologists are to dig on a previously unexplored part of Henry VIII’s fortifications in Hull, which has been earmarked as a future visitor attraction.

Hull Council has been awarded the first phase of £1m of funding from Highways England to deliver a programme of archaeological works to conserve and tell the story of the South Blockhouse, a 16th century fortress, next to the Deep aquarium.

Built between 1541 and 1543 to guard the mouth of the River Hull – then a harbour – from hostile ships, the fortress was later a prison and finally demolished in the 1860s, when it was superseded by Fort Paull to the east of the city.

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