Bankside Gallery Hull

Polly Checkland Harding
Bankside Gallery Hull

Bankside Gallery Hull isn’t a single building, but a sprawling, outdoor exhibition space for Hull’s street artists; a scattered collection of walls, doors and underpasses that are legal to graffiti on, as well as surfaces volunteered by businesses as canvases for special commissions. Mainly to the north of the city centre, and concentrated along the River Hull, the locations are pinned on the Bankside Gallery Hull map – the artwork at each one constantly evolving. With artists travelling nationally and internationally to contribute to the gallery, including from Hungary, Chile and Italy, murals can get ‘hit’ or ‘bombed’ with new work within days.

The result is an ever-changing spectacle, a variable backdrop for walking tours, school trips and visitors. All of which started the month after Hull’s year as Capital of Culture, with the overnight appearance of a Banksy artwork in the city. Stencilled onto a permanently raised bridge, the mural of a young boy riding another artist’s tag as though to victory – wielding a sword above his head and with the words ‘DRAW THE RAISED BRIDGE’ painted next to him – was claimed by the artist on instagram shortly after it was discovered. It’s arrival caused a small frenzy, and the idea for the Bankside Gallery was born: this was a way to transform more walls in the area, and to convert the very localised public interest into money being spent at the surrounding businesses.

The Bankside Gallery was also a way to create parity between the excitement at the work of this particular artist, and the more mixed reception of graffiti elsewhere in the city. It drew attention to Hull’s long street art subculture, which has its roots in the 1980s, became nationally known in the 1990s, and has been hidden in plain sight ever since. After installation, Banksy’s work was defaced, salvaged by a window cleaner, and eventually removed for preservation when the bridge it was painted on was scheduled for demolition. The Bankside Gallery, meanwhile, lives on – freely accessible, changeable, and a celebration of a rich seam of creativity in the city.

9 N Church SideHullHU1 1RP View map
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Opening Hours

  • MondayOpen 24 hours
  • TuesdayOpen 24 hours
  • WednesdayOpen 24 hours
  • ThursdayOpen 24 hours
  • FridayOpen 24 hours
  • SaturdayOpen 24 hours
  • SundayOpen 24 hours

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

What's on near Bankside Gallery Hull

FestivalsYork
York Unlocked 2023

York’s most unique festival! The doors to around 70 buildings will be thrown open free of charge for this two day celebration of heritage.

free entry
Until
ExhibitionsYork
Bloom at York Art Gallery

York Art Gallery is displaying an exhibition focused on the artistic inspiration of flowers, bringing together more than 100 botanical artworks from its collection.

from £8.00

Where to go near Bankside Gallery Hull

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Hotel
Hideout Apartment Hotel

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Hotel
Hull Trinity Backpackers

If you’re looking for affordable accommodation right in the heart of Hull Old Town, the highly rated, independent hostel Hull Trinity Backpackers is hard to beat.

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Place of worship
Hull Minster

The UK’s largest medieval ‘town church’, Hull Minster was awarded £3.9 million by Highways England in 2019 for restoration and the addition of a heritage centre to better showcase the Minster’s history and place in the community.

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Shopping Centre
Hepworth Arcade

Located in the Old Town, this beautiful Grade II-listed Victorian arcade is home to some of Hull’s best-loved and best-known retailers and, with vintage buys and legendary establishments, it’s as good for window shopping as it is for actual shopping.

Ye Olde White Hart
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Ye Olde White Harte

A pub with two well-stocked bars and a large beer garden, Ye Olde White Harte is an incredible historic gem, constructed in 1550, and Grade II*-listed.

The Old House
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Bar or Pub
The Old House

The Old House is offering collection and delivery from its home in the oldest domestic building in Hull. Priding itself on locally sourced ingredients from local suppliers including Warrendale Wagyu Beef and rare breed beef from Thirsk you can enjoy the gastronomy of this gastropub in your home.

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Restaurant
Hitchcock’s Vegetarian Restaurant

Strange, but highly rated, Hull’s very first vegetarian restaurant, Hitchcock’s, has been an unconventional spot for over 25 years, with a warren of rooms full of curios, the menu chosen by the first person to book and food served as an eat-as-much-as-you-like buffet. 

Humber Street Distillery Co.
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Bar or Pub
Humber Street Distillery Co.

Taking inspiration from city bars in London and Edinburgh the Humber Street Distillery offers over 100 different varieties of gin, unique spirits, local and international craft beers. Online it offers hampers of some of its favourite fruity gins perfect for bank holidays and a good selection of its gins so you can sample the full gamut with a tonic!

Wooly mammoth Hull and East Riding Museum
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Museum
Hull and East Riding Museum

The Hull and East Riding Museum of archeology offers a detailed, immersive introduction to history, reconstructing ancient civilisations for visitors to explore – you can walk through an Iron Age village or enter a Roman bath house and look at the stunning mosaics.

Studio Eleven Gallery in Hull
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Gallery
Studio Eleven Gallery in Hull

Studio Eleven is an established studio and gallery in Hull led by director and artist, Adele Howitt, with a team of artist volunteers.

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Shop
Form Shop & Studio

Part of Hull’s vibrant Fruit Market cultural quarter, Form Shop & Studio is an independent shop selling affordable art prints, cards and stationery.

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