# Lord Line Building/St Andrew's Docks, Hull, May 2016



## HughieD (Jun 3, 2016)

My little mini break in Humberside didn’t yield too much explore-wise what with secca interceptions in Grimsby, closed roads on Spurn Point and demo’ed buildings in Hull. This place has been on my radar for some time. Surprisingly it has had very few reports here on the forum which I can’t quite work out. It’s very substantial and pretty high profile in Hull and is subject to what seems to be monthly reports in the Hull Daily Mail. It’s a place that splits local opinion – some say it’s an eyesore and should be demo’ed. Others say it is a vital part of Hull’s seafaring past. Think I’m with the latter camp.

This and several other buildings that remain used to make up St Andrew’s dock. The Dock opened in 1883 and was originally designed for the coal trade but was used almost exclusively for the fishing industry. The dock had its own ice plant, a maintenance slipway, banks, shops, cafes and even had a post office, a doctor’s surgery and a police station, complete with prison cells. The dock was extended in 1897. The Lord Line building officially opened in 1949 to serve Hull’s trawling industry. The trawlers left for the North Sea and the Norwegian sea. A survey in 1954 said that for every fisherman working at sea there were up to three people working ashore in associated jobs. This totaled almost 50,000 workers or one-in-five of Hull’s population at the time.

The decline started when Iceland declared there would be a 200 mile limit to where trawlers would be able to fish off Iceland itself. It struck a massive blow to the fishing industry. One so significant that the industry never recovered and the dock closed in 1975. Apparently 6,000 men sailed to their deaths at sea in this most dangerous post-war occupation. The filling of the dock itself began in the late 1980s. It has been threatened with demolition but local history groups protested and at present the future of the building is uncertain.

In terms of the explore itself, when I rocked up to the dock there were a number of teenage gangs hanging around. Access to the Lord Line was possible but I thought I would come back the next morning when the coast was clearer. On returning the next day said gangs had gone but in the end caution got the better part of valor. I didn’t really fancy going into such a large and dark maze-like building that was in a bit of a state on my own. Fortunately I had enough decent externals to still merit a report.

The first thing you come to is part of the old dock:


img5448 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img5431 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And the Lord Line Building:


img5450 by HughieDW, on Flickr

No doubt as to what the building is called:


img5449 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img5476 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Some interesting deco style metal windows:


img5428 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img5429 by HughieDW, on Flickr

A quick peek in where some of the local yobbo’s set fire to the building:


img5430 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Side-on view:


img5432 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Rear view:


img5433 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img5435 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Windows buckled by a previous fire:


img5434 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img5437 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Quay side view:


img5438 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Side-on from the quay side:


img5471 by HughieDW, on Flickr

This place is next to the Lord Line and in a really poor state:


img5454 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img5466 by HughieDW, on Flickr 


img5465 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img5467 by HughieDW, on Flickr

This was probably a water tower.


img5470 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Built in 1932, the former insurance building by the quay is quite stylish with its deco touches:


img5458 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img5456 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img5459 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img5460 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img5469 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img5475 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Thanks for looking!


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## Sam Haltin (Jun 3, 2016)

Very nicely done. At one time these were very important buildings linked with shipping but alas they now stand quiet.


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## tazong (Jun 3, 2016)

Really nice hughie dw - very nice set indeed


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## krela (Jun 4, 2016)

Great to see this place again, thanks Hughie.


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## flyboys90 (Jun 5, 2016)

Very interesting architecture.Great history and images.


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## degenerate (Jun 5, 2016)

I would have done the same in that situation too Hughie. On the plus side though you managed to get enough shots externally that we can see all the little details, a personal favourite is the one of the insurance building.


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## Rubex (Jun 11, 2016)

Interesting looking building HughieD, great photos as always


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## HughieD (Jun 12, 2016)

Rubex said:


> Interesting looking building HughieD, great photos as always



Cheers Rubex. Revisit deffo in order with this place.


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## UrbanX (Jul 7, 2016)

Lovely set of pics mate, they certainly don't build them like that anymore!


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