Lost town exhibition to go on tour
By Rick Lyon, Co-Editor
The story of a lost town built on an island at the mouth of the Humber is now going on tour in the East Riding.
After a successful exhibition at Hull History Centre, the history and folklore of the sunken town of Ravenser Odd alongside stories from Holderness will go on display in a new exhibition from Tuesday, September 10.
The first stop of the tour for Ravenser Odd: The Sunken Island of the Humber is Spurn Point Discovery Centre, a fitting location for the exhibition. It will be on display until Sunday, October 13.
The exhibition will then move along the coast to Withernsea Library and Customer Service Centre, where it will be on display from Tuesday, October 15 until Tuesday, December 3.
Withernsea Library will also host a flag making workshop on Monday, October, 28, from 11am-1pm. This session is drop in, with no need to book.
Ravenser Odd was a short-lived medieval town on an island near Spurn Point. It quickly became very wealthy and was accused of piracy and stealing the trade of its neighbours along the Humber.
Councillor Mike Ross, leader of Hull City Council, said: “There was a great response to the exhibition at Hull History Centre and feedback asked for the exhibition to go on tour into the East Riding.
“We hope that by going further afield, more people will come to discover about Ravenser Odd and stories from medieval Holderness.”
Accompanying the exhibition, Square Peg Hull will deliver free creative workshops giving people the chance to learn more about Ravenser Odd in fun and hands-on ways.
Copies of the Maritime Tales comic 1235: A Spurn Oddity – Lily and Jacob in Search of Ravenser Odd by illustrator Gareth Sleightolme will also be available at each venue.
The comic, as well as the previous two volumes, are also available to read as an e-book from Hull Libraries’ Borrowbox.
The original exhibition Hull/Ravenser Odd: Twin Cities, Sunken Pasts was on display from March 26 to May 30 at Hull History Centre and received a huge response from visitors.
This project has been funded by the Higher Education Innovation Fund at the University of Sussex.
The exhibition and associated activities are underpinned by research by Dr Emily Robinson (University of Sussex) and Dr Kathryn Maude (The National Archives) with support from Hull Maritime and Square Peg Hull.