The unique homes on an ‘island’ in the middle of Hull – and how they met a sad and fiery end

Isolated cottages, sandwiched between busy railway lines, offered ‘countryside life’ in the heart of the city

For almost 140 years, these railway cottages stood in splendid inner-city isolation, sandwiched between two busy railway lines.

On one side, trains passed heading to and from London. On the other, they went to Beverley and Bridlington. There was no way in or out of the small island of land, except by crossing one of the lines.

The Victorian cottages were located just off Argyle Street, in the shadow of Hull Royal Infirmary. Today, a modern footbridge, used by Hull City fans to reach the MKM Stadium, crosses the land nearby.

It is thought that the two cottages were built by the North Eastern Railway in around 1870, at the same time as the Argyle Street road bridge. which replaced an earlier level crossing. A surviving rent book from that year indicates that the homes were occupied by signalmen who worked at the nearby West Parade signal box.

The last resident was railway fitter Bernard Hutchinson, who had lived in one of the cottages with his wife for more than half a century. He was allowed to stay on after retiring, until his death in 2003.

In 2004, the council proposed demolishing the cottages, which by then were standing empty. At the time, Mr Hutchinson’s grandson, Paul Roberts, urged the authority to reconsider. “This has been the hub of our family for all of our lives,” he told the Mail’s Angus Young. “Every holiday we came here as kids. In those days there were foxes and rabbits everywhere. It was like living in the countryside but right in the middle of the city.”

The council, which took over ownership from the railway authorities, argued that the cottages were unattractive to tenants because of a lack of access. At the time, there were long-term aspirations to build a rail halt at the site, serving the stadium and Hull Royal Infirmary.

Sadly for Paul and his family, the cottages did not survive for long. In 2005, they were gutted by a devastating fire. By then, councillors had already agreed to their demolition – despite a sustained campaign to save them – and these unique homes were lost to history.

References

1. ^{^} Lost shops of Princes Quay that you may remember – or have forgotten (www.hulldailymail.co.uk)