Cuthbert Brodrick: Architect behind Scarborough's Grand Hotel honoured with plaque in his hometown

Leeds Town Hall, City Exchange, the Mechanics’ Institute, now Leeds City Museum, were all his work.

He also designed one of Scarborough's main attractions. With its four distinctive domes the Grand Hotel still dominates South Bay.

In Hull little remains following the city's massive growth in the 19th century, followed by the Blitz of the Second World War and rebuilding. "The Royal Institute which he designed was blown up during the War and the old Town Hall was too small and had to be demolished," says Dr Robb Robinson. One of the few surviving remnants of his work are the gates to Hull's General Cemetery.

But Brodrick lives on as one of 100 plaques which have gone up around the city remembering prominent Hullensians.

The project started nearly 10 years ago to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the creation of the role of Lord Mayor in Hull.

It has now evolved into a book by Dr Robinson called "Agnes to Zebedee" which is being sent to every school in Hull and people can follow a trail across the city.

It gives a short biography of everyone on the plaques from Headscarf Revolutionary Lil Bilocca, who fought for trawlermen's safety, to Spider from Mars guitarist Mick Ronson. It includes Ebenezer Cobb Morley - regarded as the founding father of modern football – and once famous figures like William Mason, who has a memorial in Poet's Corner and was considered the greatest English poet of his age.

Dr Robinson, who is an honorary research fellow at the University of Hull, said: "Brodrick was a fascinating character who suddenly appears from absolutely nowhere and built all these extraordinary buildings in a short space of time.

"Brodrick also built Scarborough's Grand Hotel which was where everyone went at the time.

"It was considered one of the biggest hotels ever built. It was V-shaped for Victoria and had a room for each day of the year. Brodrick certainly made his mark in an unequivocal way."

Pupils at Newland School for Girls are among those to have received a copy of the book. Former Lord Mayor Mary Glew who started the project said: “The book accompanying the trail has been really popular, with the first batch of books flying off the shelves of the Ferens Art Gallery and some of the museum gift shops within weeks.“Those shelves will be restocked, allowing the book to make an ideal Christmas gift."

Copies are available from independent bookshops Wrecking Ball and Carnegie. Free copies of the trail map are available from the Welcome Information Centre at Paragon Station, while a trail app, Hull 100, is also available to download.