River Hull tidal surge barrier

The River Hull tidal surge barrier is a flood control gate located on the River Hull in the city of Kingston upon Hull, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The barrier impounds the river in times of tidal surges, preventing water moving upstream of the river from the Humber Estuary, and flooding the areas of the city which are near to the river, or susceptible to flooding. It is held horizontal when not in use, and turns 90 degrees before being lowered to the riverbed in the event of a tidal surge. It is the second largest flood barrier in the United Kingdom after the Thames Barrier in London. The barrier was opened in 1980, and since then, has closed over 30 times as a preventative measure during tidal surges. A proposed lagoon to control tidal flooding in the Humber Estuary would render the River Hull non-tidal. The barrier was grade II listed in 2017, with David Neave describing it as a prominent Hull landmark.

1. History

The need for the barrier arose after severe flooding of the city from a tidal surge in 1969. In 1971, the Yorkshire Rivers Authority engaged Mcdonald & Partners as engineers on the project, with the Shankland Cox Partnership as architects. Initially costed in 1971, the work on the barrier came to £3.8 million, but with ancillary processes and detailed studies, the final cost was £4.3 million. The location chosen for the barrier is quite close to where the river empties into the Humber Estuary on the site of the old Ha'penny Bridge. Wind testing of the structure via uses of models was undertaken at the Building Research Establishment in Garston, and hydrological testing was carried out at the hydraulics laboratory of the Department of Engineering, Cambridge University. The two towers were rooted 66 feet (20 m) below the water level and the steel supports running from the bottom to the top were rolled to a length of 112 feet (34 m), which was the longest that the British Steel Corporation had rolled steel to, at that time. Construction on the barrier was started in January 1977, with projected opening date of August 1979, however, difficulties in the building phase led to schedule slipping. The barrier was opened on 15 April 1980 by Dennis Matthews, chairman of the Yorkshire Water Authority. The gap between the two towers is 98 feet (30 m) wide and 85 feet (26 m) high to allow shipping to access the river beyond the barrier. The large barrier is stationed in a horizontal position when not in use, but rotates 90 degrees and is lowered when a tidal surge is forecast. The barrier then interlocks into a sill built into the riverbed. When not in use, the barrier's position elevated above the river between the two towers has been described as looking like an "..up and over garage door". The River Hull tidal surge barrier is the second largest flood barrier in the United Kingdom; only the barrier on the River Thames is larger. The height of the two towers is 98 feet (30 m), and the movable barrier that spans the two towers weighs 202 tonnes (223 tons). The barrier can be deployed within 30 minutes of a flood warning. Whilst there are motors that power the barrier into action, if any of them fail, the barrier can be hand-cranked into position within 30 minutes. In 2010, the barrier was refurbished during a 40-day work period with maintenance being carried out some 98 feet (30 m) in the air. The £10 million work was completed in October 2010. Writing in The Buildings of England; Yorkshire : York and the East Riding, David Neave said that it was; "..an elegant arch..." and "at night when the glazed staircases to each tower are illuminated, it is a prominent landmark." As part of the 2017 City of Culture celebrations, additional lights and texts were displayed on the barrier. The barrier was grade II listed in 2017, with the citation stating that; "the barrier successfully combines functional engineering with aesthetic quality in a slender and dramatically sculptural arch of angular planes".

1. Flooding history

Since the barrier was installed in 1980, it has been closed on average once a month every year.

1657, a tidal surge left the city under 4 feet 11 inches (1.5 m) of water September 1966, 16.7 feet (5.09 m) tide 29 September 1969, 16.72 feet (5.10 m) January 2005, 15.9 feet (4.8 m) tide November 2011, 16 feet (4.9 m) tide December 2013, Storm Xaver produced a tide of 19 feet (5.8 m)

1. Lagoon Hull proposal

In 2019, a proposal to build a lagoon in the Humber Estuary was unveiled. This would involve making the River Hull non-tidal, but no mention was made in the proposal about the River Hull Barrier.

1. See also

Bridgwater tidal barrier River Foss Barrier

1. Notes


1. References


1. = Sources =

Fleming, J. H.; McMillan, P. H.; Williams, B. P. (August 1980). "The River Hull Tidal Surge Barrier". Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers. 68 (3): 417–454. doi:10.1680/iicep.1980.2244.

1. External links

Video of the barrier being lowered

Nearby Places View Menu

The Deep (aquarium)

The Deep is a public aquarium situated at Sammy's Point, at the confluence of the River Hull and the Humber Estuary in Kingston upon Hull, England. It opened in March 2002. Billed as "the world's only submarium", the exhibits contain thousands of sea creatures (including seven species of shark), 2,500,000 litres (550,000 imp gal) of water and 87 tonnes (86 long tons) of salt housed in a building designed by Terry Farrell and built as part of the UK National Lottery's Millennium Commission project. The Deep is also a landmark centre for marine research. A team of aquarists look after the animals in The Deep's collection as well as carrying out research into the marine environment. In 2013, the aquarium was voted the best family place to visit in Hull. The Deep is a charitable public aquarium dedicated to increasing people's enjoyment and understanding of the world's oceans.

Aquarium Landmark

Port of Hull

The Port of Hull is a port at the confluence of the River Hull and the Humber Estuary in Kingston upon Hull, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. Seaborne trade at the port can be traced to at least the 13th century, originally conducted mainly at the outfall of the River Hull, known as The Haven, or later as the Old Harbour. In 1773, the Hull Dock Company was formed and Hull's first dock built on land formerly occupied by Hull town walls. In the next half century a ring of docks was built around the Old Town on the site of the former fortifications, known as the Town Docks. The first was The Dock (1778), (or The Old Dock, known as Queen's Dock after 1855), followed by Humber Dock (1809) and Junction Dock (1829). An extension, Railway Dock (1846), was opened to serve the newly built Hull and Selby Railway. The first dock east of the river, Victoria Dock, opened in 1850. Docks along the banks of the Humber to the west were begun in 1862 with the construction of the West Dock, later Albert Dock. The William Wright extension opened in 1880, and a dock further west, St Andrew's Dock, opened in 1883. In 1885, Alexandra Dock, a new eastern dock was built connected to a new railway line constructed by the same company, the Hull Barnsley & West Riding Junction Railway and Dock Company. In 1914, King George Dock was built jointly by the competing railway companies, the Hull and Barnsley company and the North Eastern Railway; this was extended in 1969 by the Queen Elizabeth Dock extension. As of 2016 Alexandra is being modernised for use in wind farm construction, with a factory and estuary side quay under construction, a development known as Green Port Hull. The Town Docks, Victoria Dock, and St Andrew's Dock fell out of use by the 1970s and were closed. Some were later infilled and redeveloped, with the Humber and Railway docks converted for leisure craft as Hull Marina. Other facilities at the port included the Riverside Quay, built on the Humber banks at Albert Dock for passenger ferries and European trains, and the Corporation Pier, from which a Humber Ferry sailed to New Holland, Lincolnshire. Numerous industrial works were served by the River Hull, which also hosted several dry docks. To the east of Hull, Salt End near Hedon became a petroleum distribution point in the 20th century, with piers into the estuary for shipment, and later developed as a chemical works. As of 2023, the main port is operated by Associated British Ports and is estimated to handle one million passengers per year; it is the main softwood timber importation port for the UK.

Industrial Landmark

C4DI

The Centre for Digital Innovation (C4DI) is a 24/7-access tech and creative coworking space based at the heart of the @TheDock tech campus in Hull, England. Founded in 2014, it offers flexible workspace, private offices, and meeting rooms suitable for meetings, training sessions, and events. C4DI supports a diverse community of startups, scaleups, freelancers, and established businesses through mentoring, industry connections, and a wide range of events. These include professional and personal development workshops, wellbeing sessions, and networking opportunities. While it occasionally delivers innovation programmes and startup incubators, its main focus is providing space, support, and collaboration opportunities across the digital and creative sectors. In 2025, C4DI’s headquarters underwent a major refurbishment to expand coworking areas and improve member facilities.

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Myton Swing Bridge

Myton Swing Bridge is a road bridge over the River Hull, in the city of Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, England. The bridge carries the A63 road through the south of the city connecting the west and east regions of Hull. Designed by the firm of Freeman Fox and Partners, with engineering undertaken by Cleveland Bridge, it was the largest swing bridge in Britain when it was opened in 1980. The bridge was expected to carry 30,000 vehicles a week, but by 2004, it was carrying 40,000 vehicles a day.

Bridge Landmark