New trail celebrates town's 'fascinating' past

A historian has devised a Hessle history trail to bring to life the town's "fascinating" past.

The A3 handout features an artistic map and illustrations of 45 key sites, including historic buildings and churches.

Richard Royal, vice-chairman of Hessle Local History Society, said he felt it was a good way to promote the town.

The handout, which is included as a centrefold pull-out in the Hessle Town Council magazine, will be delivered to residents early next year.

Mr Royal said he was inspired to create the trail after seeing similar projects elsewhere, including Hull Old Town's Ale Trail and Beverley Road's Heritage Trail.

"Hessle has so much fascinating history that many residents and visitors might not know about," he said.

"There are historic buildings all around us, often now transformed into modern amenities, and we're often too busy to notice the signs from our past.

"Hopefully, this booklet can help us to see and understand it more," he added.

A settlement in the area can be dated back as far as the 6th Century, according to the history group, with the town recorded in the Domesday Book as having a church, a priest and a population of about 100.

Hessle, like many other places, also had its own stocks where those responsible for minor misdemeanours, such as drunkenness, were placed as punishment.

In terms of his favourite building, Mr Royal said he had a bit of a "soft spot" for Hesslewood House, which he said was the grandest of the several mansions built in Hessle.

"It's an iconic building on beautiful parkland where I've spent many happy days," Mr Royal said.

The booklet - which received funding from the Do It For East Yorkshire community grant scheme and was created by Flexibubble Art - is also available to collect from various locations in the town, including Hessle Town Hall and All Saints' Church.

More information is available on the history group's social media.

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