Q Why is Hull also called Kingston upon Hull, was it a town belonging to the King and should it not be called Kingston upon Humber? I would be very grateful if you could also outline the history of this city. - Bill Hutchinson, Chester-le-Street .

AHull takes its name from the little River Hull that rises about 15 miles north of the city near Driffield in the East Yorkshire wolds. It enters the RIver Humber, a virtual arm of the sea at Hull.

The Humber officially becomes the sea 20 miles east of Hull. A large part of Hull city lies along the waterfront of the Humber, but the River Hull splits the city into two halves east and west. Hull is the chief port of Yorkshire, with a population of 300,000, making it one of the biggest ports in England. It is sometimes called 'the biggest fishing port in the world'.

Hull was originally a little Medieval settelement called Wyke. It was a fishing village that belonged to the Cistercian abbey of Meaux near Beverley. Beverley is an historic minster town of medieval origins and is only five miles from the northern outskirts of Hull.

King Edward purchased the village of Wyke from the abbot of Meaux in 1293 as the king recognised the potential for building a harbour and war base. He began the construction of a town here that he called Kingston upon Hull. It was called Kingston upon Hull because it was located on the river Hull and belong to the king. The town received its first charter in 1299. Today Kingston upon Hull is really an historic name and the place is commonly knon as Hull.

The heart of Medieval Hull is known today as the Old Town and is just to the west of the River Hull. The little river served as a defensive boundary, while a moat protected the western flank of the old town.

Hull continued to grow in more recent times to become one of the country's most important ports. During World War Two Hull suffered some of Britain's heaviest bombing and many new buildings were constructed to replace wartime damage.

Hull has strong links with the continent and has an important ferry link with Zeebrugge and Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

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