Dock Office Chambers to have new role as conservation facility

Dock Office Chambers, which is about to undergo a major revamp as part of the Hull Maritime project

Work to transform Dock Office Chambers into a bespoke storage and conservation facility for Hull Maritime Museum’s reserve collection will start on Monday.

The transformation, which is expected to be complete by May next year, is part of the Hull Maritime project.

With improved access and enhanced facilities for staff, volunteers, partners and visiting researchers, the new store will enable the museum’s significant collections to be conserved, catalogued and cared for.

The new home for thousands of objects within the collection is part of a makeover of the Maritime Museum to provide new and improved visitor facilities, with 50 per cent more artefacts on display.

As well as revealing more of its Victorian architecture, the refurbished museum will offer more toilets, a café, lifts, access to one of the building’s domes for the first time - giving panoramic views across the city - and access to a whole new floor previously unseen by visitors.

There will also be an improved education and learning programme and increased digitisation of the collections.

Arctic Corsair, which will have a new berth at North End Shipyard

Councillor Daren Hale, leader of Hull City Council, said: “Hull Maritime Museum’s collections are recognised as being of national significance, and the scrimshaw collection is regarded as one of the best in the world.

“Thanks to National Lottery players, the collections storage centre will complement its relationship to the Hull Maritime Museum, creating a dedicated area, ensuring our collections will shine for a bigger and wider audience.

“This behind-the-scenes work to Dock Office Chambers is critical to improving the exhibitions and public displays within the museum. The refurbishment of Dock Office Chambers will allow us to open a whole new floor of the Hull Maritime Museum to the public for the first time ever.

“Ultimately, it will enable visitors to enjoy new exhibitions and displays using previously unseen material to tell over 800 years of Hull’s maritime story and secure the future of the museum.”

The specialist works will be undertaken by award-winning heritage contractor Simpson, who have a proven track record in delivering prestigious restoration and refurbishments projects similar to the Hull Maritime Museum.

These include the Grade I listed World Heritage Site Durham Cathedral, Grade I listed Ledston Hall, York Art Gallery, Bowes Museum, Cliffords Tower, and Castle Howard. 

Spurn Lightship, which is also being restored

Simpson are supporting local suppliers of goods and services along with local labour and skills.

They will also team up with Hull Training to offer at least three apprenticeships as well as providing traineeships and work placements to young people in Hull to gain first-hand experience of working within the construction industry.

Neil Silcock, managing director of Simpson, said: “We are extremely pleased to be commencing the works to the Dock Office Chambers and to be entrusted with preserving Hull’s unique maritime heritage.

“We look forward to working with the clients’ teams to preserve and enhance this historical building, and provide the bespoke storage facilities which will enable the museum’s major restoration and refurbishment works to progress later next year.”

Although the museum is currently closed to the public, residents can discover hidden stories from Hull’s maritime past during Maritime Tales Week between October 23 and 30, as well on maritimehull.co.uk.

The museum is expected to re-open to visitors late 2024.

New Cross Street will close to pedestrians from Monday until April 30 next year so the work can take place.

The work is part of the £30.3m Hull Maritime project, funded by Hull City Council and The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

This also includes the restoration of the Spurn Lightship and the Arctic Corsair, and regenerating the North End Shipyard, a hidden gem along the River Hull.

Dock Office Chambers was developed in the 1890s as part of the administration facilities for the Hull shipping industry.

The history of the chambers is closely tied with the neighbouring Maritime Museum that was designed as the offices for the Hull Dock Company.

The purchase of the company by North Eastern Railway Company in 1893 led to the extension of the offices and the construction of Dock Office Chambers, which remained in office use until last year.