THE ANLABY ROAD

Anlaby Road history—part 17

Bourne Primitive Methodist Chapel

The foundation stone of the Bourne chapel was laid in September 1869, although it was not completed until 1871. It was named in honour of Hugh Bourne, a founder of the Primitive Methodist Connexion, and was built facing the Anlaby Road, of white brick with stone dressings, in the Gothic style. It seated up to 2,000 people and cost £7,610, the architect being Joseph Wright of Hull. The church held its final service in September 1959, when dwindling congregations forced its closure, and following deregistration in 1960, it was demolished (c.1964) when the site was used for yet another garage. The congregation continued to meet in Windsor Hall, located behind the grand houses of Crown Terrace. A “board” school was built at the rear of the church, known as Bourne House, latterly used as a Sunday school. The school building had nine classrooms and a band room, remaining until c.1990, having survived the demolition of the church, it was later used as a car showroom and offices.

An extra house was added to the four houses west of the church, late in 1891; this was built on a former garden area, which presumably belonged to the church. The new house was not shown on the 1889 Ordnance Survey plan, or listed in the 1891 Census, but was occupied by the 1892 trade directory. The house was very ornate, with a Dutch gable, quality brickwork and heavy stone scrolling around the doorcase. Stone mason George Panton was the first occupant, and no doubt built the house; later trade directories list him simply as a builder, and his contracting company worked from this address until the 1960s, also having works at the bottom of nearby Gladstone Street. The four houses adjoining Panton’s house - the west end of Crown Terrace, although built as private housing were later used for a multitude of purposes. Nos.206 and 208 were used as a nursing home for many years, before being converted for use as a nightclub; The Hull Times ran an advertisement for Club Henry’s in its issue of 28th November 1975. Henry’s, as it was referred to locally, soon became Club International, which was mentioned for the first time in 1978, continuing until 1989. Following a fire at Henry’s, around 1990, it re-opened as Rumour’s Night Club, which it remained until the whole of the block was demolished in 1991/92. The whole area is now occupied by the car park of the Hull Royal Infirmary.

An extra house was added to the four houses west of the church, late in 1891; this was built on a former garden area, which presumably belonged to the church. The new house was not shown on the 1889 Ordnance Survey plan, or listed in the 1891 Census, but was occupied by the 1892 trade directory. The house was very ornate, with a Dutch gable, quality brickwork and heavy stone scrolling around the doorcase. Stone mason George Panton was the first occupant, and no doubt built the house; later trade directories list him simply as a builder, and his contracting company worked from this address until the 1960s, also having works at the bottom of nearby Gladstone Street. The four houses adjoining Panton’s house - the west end of Crown Terrace, although built as private housing were later used for a multitude of purposes. Nos.206 and 208 were used as a nursing home for many years, before being converted for use as a nightclub; The Hull Times ran an advertisement for Club Henry’s in its issue of 28th November 1975. Henry’s, as it was referred to locally, soon became Club International, which was mentioned for the first time in 1978, continuing until 1989. Following a fire at Henry’s, around 1990, it re-opened as Rumour’s Night Club, which it remained until the whole of the block was demolished in 1991/92. The whole area is now occupied by the car park of the Hull Royal Infirmary.

Here is Gladstone Street

Beyond Gladstone Street was another elegant terrace, partly designed by the architect Frederick William Hagen, and named Albermarle Terrace, consisting of five houses built in 1870 in the Italianate style, and similar in design to Crown Terrace. Architectural student Ian Goldthorpe, writing in the 1950s, described Albermarle Terrace as “probably his [Hagen’s] finest group of terraced houses”.56 However, the terrace was not built as one, but in sections constructed at several different dates, having been extended to the west with two houses (by the architect Robert Clamp) in 1874, and a larger property built at the east end known as Temple House. The grand terrace, latterly Nos.216 to 228 Anlaby Road, was home to many of Hull’s leading men, including Richard Thornton-Varley and Hebblethwaite the land agent etc. Temple House was later used as a private girls school, the main entrance to the school being in Gladstone Street.

Beyond the terrace was an open plot, with a footpath leading to Mr Richards’ florist & gardener’s premises. The plot in front of the gardens remained empty until c.1920, when W L Thompson, Motor Car Agents, built a showroom and garage on the site. Beyond the large plot, latterly the site of Thompson’s garage, was the final house on this block, known as Arnold House. Built c.1870 for wine & spirit merchant William McBride, Arnold House was named because it stood at the corner of Arnold Street, and in most directories and Census returns, it is referred to simply as No.1 Arnold Street. The houses in this terrace had mostly been demolished by the 1980s, but Temple House, the former girls school, survived until 1991.

Here is Arnold Street

On the west corner of Arnold Street, facing the Anlaby Road, was Marlborough House, probably the finest house of its period on the main road. A request for tenders was placed in The Hull Times, of 26th August 1871 inviting “tenders for [the] erection of a double fronted house opposite Coltman Street, F W Hagen architect”, which almost certainly referred to Marlborough House. Built as a detached property of three bays, in the Italianate style, it was noted for two stone Lions, situated at the front entrance, latterly, numbered as No.240 Anlaby Road, the stunning house was demolished in 1929. Following several transactions between July 1928 and January 1929 East Yorkshire Motor Services bought the “plot of land and Mansion House known as Marlborough House” from Charles Herbert Allison, the last occupier, and Richard Hunter Geoff; the same transaction saw them purchase No.252 Anlaby Road and all of the open land in between the two large houses, from the vicar and churchwardens of the Holy Trinity Church. EYMS then owned all of the land from Arnold Street to No.252 Anlaby Road and built the existing motor coach garages. Sadly, rather than keep the unique Marlborough House, the company chose No.252 Anlaby Road for their offices, where they remain to the present day.

Beyond No.252 was a line of property known as Milton Terrace, consisting once again of houses, or pairs of houses, built independently of one another to form one long terrace. The 1871 Census listed only three occupied properties on the block, including Milton House at the far west end. Milton House was later to become The Hull Gladstone Liberal Club, complete with a large bowling green to the rear. Over the next decade, the block of detached houses gradually merged, into one long terrace of 13 houses. The first house was initially the home of Thomas Stratten, a pioneer of Hull’s Board School system, and later (from c.1920) the vicarage to the Holy Trinity Church. Later re-numbered as No.252 Anlaby Road, the house survives, as the offices of East Yorkshire Motor Services mentioned earlier. Dr A K Rollit, a great benefactor and one-time mayor of Hull, occupied one of the other houses on the block; he was newly married in 1872, and no doubt moved into the recently built house in the same year. Sadly only five of the original 13 properties remain, Nos.254 to 260, as the west end of the terrace was lost for the construction of the railway viaduct in 1964/65.

Beyond the end of the terrace, and Milton House, was the florist’s property stretching to the rear of Arnold Street, occupying land up to the former level-crossing.

Continue to part 18

EYMS garage 1930s

EYMS garage 1930s.

Looking west near St Mathew

Looking west near St Mathew's 1950s.

Nos. 206 to 214 May 1991, courtesy of Graham Wilkinson

Nos. 206 to 214 May 1991, courtesy of Graham Wilkinson.

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