New visitor attraction set to open in Hull after funding granted for restoration of historic vessels

Work is set to begin on restoring two historic Hull vessels after a shipyard was approved by the city council to join the project.
The Arctic CorsairThe Arctic Corsair
The Arctic Corsair

The deep-sea trawler Arctic Corsair and Spurn Lightship will be brought back to their former glory after the successful bid by Dunston (Ship Repairs), based in the city’s William Wright Dock.

The company, which has over a century’s experience of restoring ships, is to be asked to restore Arctic Corsair first.

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It comes as part of the £30m Hull Maritime project – funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Hull City Council.

The trawler will make the journey to Alexandra Dock in the coming weeks, where restoration will take place.

She will then be moved to a final berth at the North End Shipyard on the River Hull, in an event set to draw large crowds in a bid to attract tourism and interest to the city’s maritime heritage.

Councillor Daren Hale, leader of Hull City Council, said: “I am delighted to see this project move forward and this decision is a key and important milestone.

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“It is great to have a specialist shipyard on board who fully understands the importance of working closely with our curators and volunteers to restore these two ships and the significance they have within the city.

“Dunston’s will work to preserve the historical integrity of the ships, enabling visitors to discover their true physical connection to what makes them so special.”

Richard Bourne, managing director and co-owner of Dunston (Ship Repairs), together with David Clark, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded this once- in-a-lifetime contract to restore two of the city’s historic ships which are cherished by so many.

“We appreciate how important they are, what they mean to the city and the vital role they played in our maritime story.”

The new visitor attraction is set to open in 2023.

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