Saturday 27 December 2014

Sign of authority


Tucked away in a little brick hut and behind steel grills the harbour master's office near Drypool bridge is a reminder that, from the Humber to the northern boundary of the city of Hull, the navigation authority on the river Hull is Hull City Council. HCC's website informs us that "A harbour master is on duty from three hours before high water (HW) Hull (Albert Dock) until HW or later if required, except Sundays" and that the HM is responsible for the operation of the movable bridges that link both halves of this fair city. Actually I don't think the harbour master works from this building any more as his/her address is the Guildhall, Alfred Gelder Street, and given that hardly any navigating seems to go on nowadays the post must almost be a sinecure. 

2 comments:

  1. There's a movable bridge here that has a small office set up for when boat traffic passes under that won't get under the height of the bridge, but I doubt there's someone in there at all times so much as it would be someone on call who can get there when needed.

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    Replies
    1. I think the only time the bridges are opened is for maintenance these days. Boats used to hold up traffic regularly just a few years ago but now nothing moves on the river.

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