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Coordinates: 53°43'26?N 0°25'55?W? / ?53.7239, -0.4319
Hessle (pronounced "Hezzle") is a town and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, situated five miles west of Kingston upon Hull city centre. It is part of Hull's built-up area but not within the city boundaries. It is on the north bank of the River Humber where that river is crossed by the Humber Bridge. According to the 2001 UK census, Hessle parish had a population of 14,767.[1]
The centre of Hessle is called "Hessle Square" or "The Square" for short. There are many shops and a small bus station - which was refitted in 2007. Hessle All Saints Church is located just off the Square. Hessle Town Hall was built in 1897 and is situated at the top of South Lane. Hessle Police Station is next door to the Town Hall at the top of South Lane and the corner of Ferriby Road.
The Upper School site of Hessle High School situated on Heads Lane is centred around a building donated to the Education Authority by a survivor of the Titanic disaster. Its education standards remain high, with it having a Specialist Science College status and achieving some of the best results in the county. In the 13th century Joan Stuteville from this ancient settlement introduced the custom of ladies riding side-saddle on horses.
In more modern times, it has been a centre for shipbuilding. The largest shipbuilder, Richard Dunston's, went into liquidation in 1987 and was bought by Damen Shipyards Group in the same year. Dunston's was closed down in 1994. The location is now used as offices, car sales buildings and a dock for scrap metal and other materials for dispatch to other areas, or to be recycled. Richard Dunston's ship repairs still exists further east along the Humber estuary, with activity remaining high.
Chalk-quarrying was a major industry at Hessle into the 20th century and quarries can still be seen in the west of the town, the largest being the Humber Bridge Country Park, which is a popular tourist attraction. Part of it is known as Little Switzerland (Little Switz or Switzy for short).
Hessle is twinned with the French town of Bourg-de-Thizy.
Transport to and from Hessle is convenient, with good access to main roads such as the A15, A63 & M62 (via the A63). It also has a railway station with hourly services to and from Hull and to destinations such as Doncaster and York.
Hessle is at the start of the Yorkshire Wolds Way, a long-distance footpath and designated National Trail, which crosses the Yorkshire Wolds and ends at Filey.
[edit] 2007 floods
On 25 June 2007, torrential rain hit the north-east of England and 100mm of rain fell in a few hours. Several people died across the affected area and the first fatality occurred in Hessle. A 28-year-old man became trapped when his foot was stuck in a storm drain. He was overwhelmed by rising water and although emergency services gave him oxygen he died of hypothermia.[2] Sky News filmed the operation and broadcast some of the footage in the days after the event. They were criticised for this but responded that the victim's family had approved the broadcast.[3] The floods caused the formation of a local residents association, HCARA (Hessle Community Action Residents Association) who have since been working with the various bodies to campaign for improvements in defences against floods in the lower Hessle area.
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(Source: Wikipedia) |