Hull, also known as Kingston upon Hull, is located at the mouth of the River Hull on the Humber estuary in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
The town was founded in the late 12th century by the monks of Meaux Abbey. They built a quay on the mouth of the River Hull so they could export goods, including wool from their abbey.
A town slowly built up around the quay and by 1193 it was a thriving port. It was renamed in 1299 by King Edward I to Kingstown upon Hull. It also played a part in the English civil war.
During World War II the town suffered heavy bombing, now known as the Hull Blitz.
The town fell into decline after World War II, its fishing and ship building was slowly lost, leading to social deprivation, poor education and a lack of policing. The town was redeveloped in the early 21st century with new retail and commercial spending which lead to more housing.
The Old Town holds the Museum Quarter with the Marina and the Deep close by. It also boasts of having its own municipally owned telephone system, dating from 1902, with cream coloured telephone boxes.
In 2013, it was announced that Hull would be the 2017 UK City of Culture.