Hull Minster facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Hull Minster
Holy Trinity Church
Hull Minster
OS grid reference	TA 09963 28554
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Low Church
History
Status	Minster
Dedication	Holy Trinity
Architecture
Style	Perpendicular Gothic
Years built	c. 1285 transepts 1300–20 choir 1340–70 nave 1380–1420 tower 1490–1520
Specifications
Length	285 feet (87 m)
Nave width	72 feet (22 m)
Tower height	150 feet (46 m)
Administration
Parish	The Most Holy and Undivided Trinity Kingston upon Hull
Benefice	Kingston upon Hull Holy Trinity
Deanery	Kingston upon Hull
Archdeaconry	East Riding
Diocese	Diocese of York
Province	Province of York

The main altar inside Hull Minster

The font and south aisle of the church

Hull Minster is a very old and important church in Kingston upon Hull, England. It's part of the Church of England. For a long time, it was known as Holy Trinity Church. But on May 13, 2017, it was given a special new title: Hull Minster. This means it's a church that serves a wider area and has a special role in the community.

History of Hull Minster
The Tower: Clocks and Bells
Organ and Music
Images for kids
See also

History of Hull Minster

Hull Minster is one of the biggest parish churches in England. It's famous for its amazing medieval brickwork, especially in the transepts (the parts that stick out on the sides). The church is so important that it's a Grade I listed building, which means it's protected because of its historical value.

Building the Church Over Time

The church was built in different stages over many years. The transepts were built first, around 1300 to 1320. Then came the choir (the area where the singing takes place) from 1340 to 1370. The main part of the church, called the nave, was built between 1380 and 1420. Finally, the tower was added from 1490 to 1520.

Restoring the Church's Beauty

Over the centuries, the church has been repaired and updated many times.

In the mid-1800s, architect Henry Francis Lockwood led a big restoration. They removed old galleries and pews, cleaned the stone, and added new oak seats. They even put in central heating!
Later, from 1861 to 1878, another major restoration happened under architect Sir George Gilbert Scott. This work cost a lot of money, about £32,750 at the time.
In 1906, people found out the tower was in danger. Architect Frederick Stead Brodrick oversaw urgent work to make the tower safe again.

Famous Connections and Wartime Survival

A very important person, William Wilberforce, was baptised here in 1759. He later became famous for leading the fight against the slave trade in Britain.

Hull Minster was very lucky during both World Wars. Hull was heavily bombed, especially during the Hull Blitz, because it was easy for enemy planes to find near the Humber Estuary. But the church managed to avoid serious damage.

A New Future for the Minster

In 2014, plans were made to make the church even more useful for the community. The idea was to create a place for concerts, exhibitions, and events, and also a place where people could get help. This big project, costing £4.5 million, started in 2016. The first parts were ready for Hull's year as UK City of Culture in 2017.

On November 7, 2016, the Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, announced that Holy Trinity Church would become Hull Minster. This special ceremony happened on May 13, 2017. The Archbishop arrived in Hull by boat to officially rename and rededicate the church.

In 2019, the Minster received a large grant of £3.9 million. This money is being used to build a visitor centre, a café, and new exhibition spaces.

The Tower: Clocks and Bells

The tower of Hull Minster is a tall and important part of the church, standing about 150 feet (46 m) high.

The Tower Clock

The first clock in the tower was built in 1772 by Joseph Hindley of York. It only had one clock face.

In 1840, James Harrison IV replaced the old clock with a new one. He installed four huge clock faces, each about 13.25 feet (4.04 m) wide. These were the biggest parish church clock faces in England at the time! The minute hand was 9.33 feet (2.84 m) long, and the hour hand was 8.33 feet (2.54 m) long.
This clock mechanism was replaced again in 1913 by Potts of Leeds. This new clock plays the famous Cambridge Chimes every quarter hour. The large clock faces from 1840 were kept.

The Tower Chimes

The church has had chimes for a long time.

The first set of chimes was put in place in 1777. They played several tunes and had to be wound up twice a day. These chimes played on eight bells until 1898, when the bells were removed and recast.
A new set of chimes was installed in 1913, along with the new clock.
In 2013, a new set of 15 bells was installed for the chimes. More bells were added in 2014 and 2017, bringing the total to 25 bells! These chimes can be played automatically by a computer or manually using a keyboard.

The Tower Bells

Besides the chimes, the tower also has a set of 12 large bells. These bells are used for "full circle change ringing," which is a special way of ringing bells in a changing pattern. Ten of these bells were made in 1899, and two more were added in 1959. All of them were cast by John Taylor of Loughborough.

Organ and Music

Hull Minster has a very impressive organ, which is a large musical instrument that uses pipes to make sound.

History of the Organ

Records from the 1620s show that the church had organs even back then.
After the English Civil War, a new organ was installed around 1711-1712. This organ was originally built for St Paul's Cathedral in London but was moved to Hull because it was too small for the cathedral.
Over the years, the organ was made bigger and better by different builders.
The current organ was built in 1938 by the John Compton Organ Company. It's a huge instrument with four keyboards and 104 different sounds (called "speaking stops"). You can find more details about this organ on the National Pipe Organ Register.

People Who Play the Organ

Many talented musicians have been the organists at Hull Minster over the centuries. They are responsible for playing this magnificent instrument during services and concerts.