Continuing the current theme of late Georgian Hull suburbs I cross the River Hull to Drypool.
The map extract above is taken from a 14th century plan of Hull discovered by Hull historian Charles Frost in the Cotton Manuscripts in the British Museum (referenced in a number of earlier blogs).
Remarkably Drypool remained a village well into early modern times even though it stood, almost literally, within a ‘stone’s throw’ from the commercial centre of medieval and early modern Hull, so-much-so that village residents could have, within a short walk, stood on the east bank of the lower River and seen all the comings and goings across and on the River. This was so for two main reasons; (a) not until the late 16th century was a bridge built over the lower River Hull (roughly where ‘North Bridge’ now stands), and (b) Kingston upon Hull developed entirely on the west bank of the lower River Hull, in effect until the early 19th century (excluding the east bank Tudor fortifications and later Citadel).
As regards (a) above there is evidence of a number of ferries crossing the River in its middle and upper courses, these usually rope-pull rafts or the like. Such a ferry crossing from Drypool to the mercantile area along the west bank would have been a great hindrance to trade and shipping to and from the staithes and is therefore unlikely to have existed. As to the reason(s) for (b) above some consideration is given in the article Hull in the Beginning in the Articles and Publications section of this website.
Drypool as a settlement is much older than Wyk (Hull) being listed in the Domesday Survey of 1086, like Myton but unlike Wyk.
In terms of its etymology Drypool, surprisingly perhaps, meant what it states ‘a dried-up pool’ (see English Place-Name Society Vol XIV p. 212-213). This fact invites some consideration of an hypothesis popular with some local historians in the 19th century that the lower course of the River Hull was re-routed in the 13th century by natural or man-made interventions (this issue also discussed in Hull in the Beginning). (To be continued).
Point of view 14(c) – If, as Physics and Maths suggest, (and I am no expert), the Universe from its smallest particle to its fullest extent can be explained by formulas and the laws of Physics then surely Nature (for lack of a better term) is the God of all things.