To spot Queen’s Gardens, look straight ahead for a long stretch of lush green lawns and colorful flower beds, set below street level and framed by the grand domes and classical facades of elegant old buildings.
Welcome to Queen’s Gardens! As you stand here, imagine this whole peaceful oasis used to be completely underwater. Up until 1930, you would have been gazing out across Queen’s Dock-nine and three-quarters acres of glimmering water right in the heart of Hull. Maybe a few ducks, maybe the odd lost ship captain looking for the Humber, but certainly not these sweeping lawns and clouds of flowers. Now, since the dock was never entirely filled in, the whole garden is sunken-so don’t be surprised if your ears pop, or maybe that’s just me being dramatic!
Step forward and you’ll see a central avenue of trees leading your eyes straight towards the famous Wilberforce Monument. That’s William Wilberforce perched proudly on top of that huge Doric column, keeping an eye on Hull as if to say, “No, I’m not coming down!” He dominated the view here until the 1960s, when someone decided Hull College needed a tall building right behind him. Guess Wilberforce lost the height contest, but he’s still the star of the show!
If you’ve entered from the west, you’ve probably just wandered past a circus of flower gardens and the Rosebowl fountain-it sputters and gurgles with water, cheering everyone up on gloomy days. Steps and sloping paths lead you down into the main gardens, a sort of green stage surrounded by colorful borders and lawns perfect for picnics or that dramatic cartwheel you’ve been quietly practicing. Either side of the tree-lined avenue, there are open grassy areas broken up by perennial flowerbeds, with two more sparkling fountain pools.
The central avenue is lined with Japanese cherry trees, but after years of standing guard, many are looking a bit tired-like guardians who forgot to book a spa day. These gardens have changed over time. Post-war plantings masked the original open views, but in 2017, Hull tidied things up and unveiled new art installations. You never know what curious sculpture you’ll stumble upon-watch out for the £310,000 Solar Gate, which joined the party as part of Hull’s year as UK City of Culture.
Take a wander north and you’ll find something odd-a plaque for Robinson Crusoe! That’s right, the world’s most famous castaway started his adventure from Hull in 1651. He might have survived 28 years on a desert island, but if he’d just come back to Hull sooner, he’d have been “happy.” Decisions, eh?
And if you keep going all the way east, you’ll reach the Peace Garden, created in 1986 to mark the UN’s International Year of Peace. Alice Tulley, a Quaker councillor, led the charge with the local Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament-there are still peaceful gatherings every Hiroshima Day, filling the gardens with quiet reflection and hope for a better world.
These gardens are a green heart in the city, just as popular with students as they are with lunchtime strollers. There’s a BBC studio and a tall apartment block staring down from the northwest, evidence that Queen’s Gardens continues to change with Hull. In fact, the latest multi-million-pound revamp is still underway, so you’ll never visit the same garden twice. Not bad for an old dock that swapped splashing oars for singing birds!
