Contractors appointed to create new home for Spurn Lightship in Hull Marina

GETTING READY: Spurn Lightship, foreground, undergoing refurbishment. Picture by Neil Holmes Photography

By Simon Bristow

Hull-based engineering company Spencer Group has been appointed to build a wet berth for the Spurn Lightship as part of the Hull Maritime project.

The firm will create a new permanent home for the ship in the northwest corner of Hull Marina, close to the Holiday Inn and Murdoch’s Connection footbridge.

Work will get underway in the coming weeks and will involve the installation of a number of mooring points.

Councillor Mike Ross, Leader of Hull City Council, said: “The appointment of this contractor will enable a new berth to be created for the city lightship.

“Work will get underway shortly and once complete, the lightship will open for visitors again for everyone to enjoy and explore the vessel following its restoration.”

Work to restore the lightship is in its final stages and will be complete in the coming months. The ship will then move to a temporary position on Hull Marina until the new dock is complete in spring 2023.

To enable these works to take place, National Highways, which is carrying out major improvements to the A63 at Castle Street, awarded Hull City Council £1,044,725 through its Designated Funds programme.

The Lightship will open to visitors in summer 2023.

Other elements of the Hull Maritime project include the refurbishment of the Grade II* Hull Maritime Museum and Dock Office Chambers, and the creation of a new visitor attraction at North End Shipyard which will become the new home of trawler the Arctic Corsair.