Albion Street was built as Hull expanded in the early 19th century and could be said to have been the intellectual hub of the city at that time. It had at one end Hull General Infirmary, a Church Institute built "to promote the study of literature and science ...in subordination to religion", the Royal Institution Hull's first museum finally finishing with the Assembly Rooms on Kingston Square. Hull Central Library was built at the western end in 1900. Since then the ravages of time, war and city planners have taken their toll. The Hospital was demolished in the 1970s and replaced by the Prospect Centre shopping mall, The Church Institute is now a hotel, the Royal Institute was destroyed by bombs in 1943 and is now a car park and health centre, and the Assembly Rooms are now the New Theatre.
When I first came to Hull 30 or so years ago these houses in a once fine early Victorian terrace were pretty run down and neglected but over the years they've been done up and converted to apartments or flats as we call them over here. So much so that supply now appears to be exceeding demand.
I remember watching the General Infirmary being demolished in 1972. Strange now to think that when it was built in 1784 it was outside of the city centre, on what was the Beverley turnpike road. The hospital building didn't move, but the city centre did.
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