Specialist contractor sought for city’s multi-million pound heritage project

Hull City Council has started a tender process to have a permanent wet dock constructed for the historic Spurn Lightship.

To berth the Spurn Lightship in Hull Marina for visitors to enjoy, the council wants to a specialist contractor to deliver a wet berth on the northwest corner of Hull Marina, close to the Holiday Inn and Murdoch’s Connection.

A successful funding bid from National Highways for £1,044,725 will enable works to take place.

The main works to create the new dock will be the sinking of five piles to create mooring points for the ship.

Restoration of the Spurn Lightship is part of Hull Maritime, a project funded by Hull City Council and The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Work to restore the lightship will be complete this autumn and the ship will move to a temporary position on Hull Maritime until the new dock is completed in early 2023.

Councillor Mike Ross, leader of Hull City Council, said: “This is the latest stage in the work and this investment will create a new permanent home for the city’s cherished Spurn Lightship.

“Residents and visitors will learn more about what it was like to work on the Spurn Lightship, guiding vessels as they navigated the Humber estuary – one of the most treacherous waterways in the world.

“For the first time, visitors will be able to climb to the top of the lantern, this is going to be something very special for the city and will continue to act as a signpost to Hull Marina, a constant reminder that our maritime heritage is never far away.”

The procurement exercise will open in the coming weeks, with work expected to start on site in the autumn.

It is expected the Spurn Lightship will open to visitors in summer 2023.

Other elements of the Hull Maritime project include the refurbishment of the Grade II* Hull Maritime Museum and the Dock Office Chambers, the creation of a visitor attraction at the North End Shipyard which will become the new home of the Arctic Corsair ship.