Hull, officially Kingston-upon-Hull, city and unitary authority in northeastern England, on the northern bank of the Humber Estuary at the mouth of the Hull River, near the North Sea. A seaport, Hull has factories manufacturing vegetable oil, wood products, chemicals, machinery, and flour. Spanning the Humber just west of Hull is one of the longest suspension bridges in the world. The city has several museums and the notable Ferens Art Galleries and is the seat of the University of Hull (1927), a grammar school (1486), and several technical schools.
Hull was granted a royal charter in 1299 by Edward I and named King's Town upon Hull. With the industrial development of northern England in the 18th century, Hull, then a small fishing port, began to flourish as a commercial and shipping center. Extensive construction of dock facilities began in 1775, and improvements were made throughout the 19th century. During World War II (1939-1945), Hull was badly damaged by German bombing. In the 1970s Grimsby replaced Hull as the chief fishing port in Britain; shipbuilding and other port activity, aside from passenger traffic, also declined. Population (1994 estimate) 269,144.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
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