Plan brings home bacon for smokehouse

Smokehouses were commonly used to smoke fish in Hull, but their rows of ship-funnel style chimneys on the skyline are now an extremely rare sight.

Funding from Hull Council and English Heritage is to be used to restore a smokehouse on Wellington Street, in the Fruit Market, once used for smoking bacon.

The building, which dates back to the 1930s, backs onto arts and entertainments venue Fruit. Director Dave Mays said they could use the outside space for more stalls as part of their regular monthly market and put art installations inside: “It would make a fantastic space.

“It is a great-looking building and great inside.

“We would be interested, depending on terms.”

Coun Steve Bayes said the plan was to give the public access to the building for the first time: “We only have a few smokehouses left in Hull and this is the only one in a conservation area.

“It’s an important part of the city’s heritage and provides the best opportunity of conserving a very distinctive style of building.” There are only two smokehouses still smoking fish in the city.