‘Our 21st century mission’: New Trinity Rooms open at Hull Minster
‘MAGNIFICENT’: The new Trinity Rooms at Hull Minster. Picture by National Highways
By Simon Bristow
It’s been 12 years in the making, but an exciting project to breathe new life into Hull Minster will finally be brought to completion when the Trinity Rooms officially open today.
The “magnificent” glass-fronted facility, complete with café and heritage area, will open onto Trinity Square, allowing activity within the church to spill out into the community area, and allow people to see what happens within the church and encourage them to explore it further.
The Trinity Rooms were funded by a £3.9m grant from the National Highways Designated Funds programme. They are the final phase of a £7.3m transformation project of the minster.
John Robinson, chairman of Holy Trinity Development, said: “I am delighted to see this project coming to fruition. We set out with enthusiasm 12 years ago and through tireless work we have completed the final stage of the project for Hull Minster. This allows us to fulfil a 21st century mission to the city from a 700-year-old building and become a beacon of hope across the city.
“The Trinity Rooms are a fantastic addition, and the generosity of National Highways has helped us to realise our initial vision of making Holy Trinity open accessible to all.”
SPECTACULAR: The ‘Space, the universe and everything’ exhibition currently on show at the minster. Picture by Hull Minster
The grant is linked to the A63 Castle Street scheme, which passes just 100 metres from the church and comes from a dedicated fund which is designed to protect historic features in areas near to major roads.
National Highways and Hull Minster have worked in partnership to restore aspects of the historic fabric and expand the minster’s facilities through the Trinity Rooms extension.
Frances Oliver, National Highways A63 Castle Street project manager, said: “To see the Trinity Rooms officially open is a huge honour and we are so proud to have been able to support Hull Minster in opening up opportunities to the community.
“At National Highways we not only improve, maintain and operate roads, it’s also extremely important to us that we benefit the communities in which we work. This is why we ensure the historic environment and heritage surrounding our roads is protected at every stage through the Designated Funds programme, and work with our partners and experts to preserve sites of special historic interest.
“The National Highways Designated Fund has helped to safeguard the Minster’s heritage for future generations and create a sustainable future for the church as a magnificent place of worship, focal point for the community and magnet for visitors.”
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In phase one of the transformation project, Hull Minster and Hull City Council worked together to develop Trinity Square in front of the West Doors. Phase two, which was funded and supported by local and private donors, saw the ordering of the interior, particularly the Nave. Phase three was the development of the Trinity Rooms.
Earlier works have allowed Hull Minster to stage exhibitions. This week it is hosting Space, the universe and everything, a laser and light interpretation of the night sky.
As well as National Highways, the project has been supported by Garfield Weston Foundation, National Churches Trust and many local sponsors and donors.
The new Trinity Rooms have been built onto the south side of the Minster, and provide a new café area, new toilet facilities and a place to display historical artefacts.
The Trinity Rooms café was trialled in with great success, National Highways said. The Trinity Rooms will also now allow for smaller gatherings and new opportunities to bring the minster’s Christian message to the city in a more intimate and personal way while retaining the “majesty and history” of the existing church, the agency said.
Other works carried out under the £3.9m grant from National Highways addressed the need to secure the fabric of the building from the effects of leaks and damp. The South Choir Aisle and vestries have been reroofed, and downpipes and gutters redirected to help channel rainwater away. The restoration elements of the project have also had the support of the National Churches Trust.
National Highways manages four designated funds, allocated by Government, to deliver benefits above and beyond building, maintaining and operating England’s strategic roads.