Spurn Lightship to reopen after restoration

A maritime tourist attraction is to open again to visitors after undergoing restoration work.

Spurn Lightship will open at its new location in Hull Marina on 7 March, the city council said.

Built in 1927, the ship was moored at the mouth of the Humber Estuary to warn sailors of the shifting sandbanks.

It served for almost 50 years and after its decommissioning it became a floating museum in 1987.

It has been closed to visitors since 2018, with the restoration work including removing rust and repainting, as well as repairing the deck and replacing rotting wood and cracked windows.

Hull City Council said the area around the ship was also undergoing work, including improving visitor access.

The lightship is part of the £27.5m revamp of the city's maritime heritage, which includes refurbishing Hull Maritime Museum, the Dock Office Chambers and building a new attraction at North End shipyard incorporating a new home for the restored North Sea trawler the Arctic Corsair.

Council leader Mike Ross said the reopening was "an exciting new chapter for the vessel and marks the start of an incredible year for Hull, celebrating the city's rich maritime heritage".

"Spurn Lightship will once again offer residents and visitors the chance to experience a vital piece of Hull's maritime story, preserved with care and authenticity so that stepping aboard feels like visiting a working lightship," he added.

It will be free to visit the ship, which will be open from Wednesday to Sunday between 11:00 and 15:00 GMT, weather permitting.

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