History Centre beats visitor targets

The 10.7m archive in Worship Street has already exceeded its visitor target more than two years ahead of schedule. Officially opened in June by broadcaster and historian Dan Snow, the centre is believed to be the first in the UK to house the archives of a city and its university under one roof.

Its oldest document is an 11th-century deed confirming an exchange of land in Bayeux, France.

Other significant records and documents include Hull's Royal Charter, giving the town its autonomy in 1299.

Written in Latin by a chancery clerk in Westminster, the single parchment carries the Royal Seal of Edward I and marks Hull's emergence as a nationally important port.

It grants certain rights and privileges of self-government, including the right to hold court cases, raise revenue, set by-laws and hold markets.

Altogether, there are 9,000 metres of archives – including the UK's most extensive range of World War Two records – and the personal letters of city-born aviator Amy Johnson.