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The first plaque was erected to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. As befits a maritime city, they have a nautical appearance, with their characteristic gold ropework rim and inner circle. As well as plaques to famous people, families and events, they also mark the Old Town walls and gates, docks and other features of the city's maritime and industrial heritage. As at 2024 there were approximately 82 plaques citywide of which 35 feature in the Blue Plaque Trail in the Old Town: Link

The Port of Hull is first recorded in 1193 but its location on the river Hull has not been identified. By the 13th century, the ‘old harbour’, or haven, extended from the confluence of the River Hull and the Humber Estuary upstream as far as North Bridge. In mid-13th Century, the Port of Hull was a member of the Hanseatic League, commemorated in the 21st century through 'International Hanse Day'. By the 18th century it was becoming increasingly clear that the haven was unfit for the growing amount of trade, hence the building of inland docks linked to the river and the Humber Estuary. See Wikipedia for further details: Link
The Dock 1778, closed 1930. Also known as The Old Dock, and Queen's Dock after 1855.
Humber Dock 1809, closed 1968. Part of Hull Marina 1984. Wikipedia: Link
Junction Dock 1829. Renamed Prince’s Dock 1855. Closed 1968. Now Prince’s Quay shopping centre. Wikipedia: Link
Railway Dock 1846, closed 1968. Part of Hull Marina 1984.
Victoria Dock 1850, closed 1970s. Now Victoria Dock Village (housing).
Albert Dock 1869
William Wright Dock 1880
St Andrew’s Dock 1883, closed 1975.
Alexandra Dock 1885. Green Port Hull created on part of the dock for Siemens Gamesa 2017.
Riverside Quay 1907. Destroyed by enemy bombing 1941. Remains are in situ 2024.
King George Dock 1914
Queen Elizabeth Dock 1970
River Terminal 1 1993. Rotterdam Terminal built on same site 2001.
Covered Terminal 1997. Renamed Hull All-Weather Terminal 2009.
The Port of Hull was nationalised and, on 1 January 1948, the North Eastern Railway's holdings passed to the British Transport Commission. It was found to be unwieldy and the docks element was replaced by the British Transport Docks Board (BTDB) on 1 January 1964. In 1983 it was renamed Associated British Ports (ABP) and allowed to become a public limited company. The company was taken over by a consortium of companies in 2006 and the company was de-listed from the London Stock Exchange.

In 1773, the Hull Corporation, Hull Trinity House and Hull merchants formed the Hull Dock Company, the first statutory dock company in Britain. The town's first dock was built on land formerly occupied by the redundant town walls. This was The Dock, built 1775-78, known as The Old Dock from 1809, and renamed Queen's Dock in 1855 after the Queen’s visit to the town in 1854. The dock entrance was on the River Hull just south of the old North Bridge: Link The first dock office was adjacent to the lock: Link It was superseded by new offices in Dock Office Row in 1820, to be replaced by offices in Queen Victoria Square in 1871 which, today, host the city’s maritime museum. Warehouses were built on the south side of the dock, some of which survive in Guildhall Road. The Hull Dock Company operated all docks in the town until 1893. Queen’s Dock closed in 1930 and, together with Queen’s Dock Chambers and the dock offices, was sold by the LNER to the Corporation. It was subsequently infilled and converted to ornamental gardens known as Queen's Gardens. Further information in Wikipedia: Link ‘The Victoria History of the County of York East Riding’, volume I, 1969, and ‘Hull Docklands, by Michael Thompson, 1990, pp. 20-23.

The gardens are set out within a 9.75 acre (4 ha) area that until 1930 was filled with the waters of the redundant Queen's Dock. As the dock was not completely filled in, the gardens are largely below the level of the surrounding streets. The gardens feature the ‘Rosebowl’ fountain, two ponds, a plaque commemorating Robinson Crusoe, the famous fictional character who sailed from Kingston upon Hull in 1651, the Peace Garden, a bandstand, and a sculpture, Solar Gate, installed in the gardens as part of the public realms work for the 2017 UK City Of Culture. A comprehensive redevelopment of the gardens began in 2022, that will include a pedestrianised link to the North End shipyard, the future museum home of the trawler ‘Arctic Corsair’.

Further information:
The Story of Queen's Gardens: Link
Wikipedia: Link
Maritime Hull: Link
Visit Hull: Link
Hull History Centre: Link