Published 24th Jan 2024, 16:45 BST

Castle Street Chambers, next to the A63 Castle Street and adjacent to the Connexin Live arena in Hull city centre, was built in 1900 as offices for Hull steamship owners and brokers Messrs G R Sanderson.

The building has been unoccupied since the 1970s and has fallen into dereliction, supported by protective scaffolding for more than 20 years.

A similar fate befell one of Hull’s oldest pubs, the neighbouring Earl De Grey, which dates back to the 1840s and was once a popular haunt for seafarers and sailors from around the world who docked in the city.

Pictured in front of the Castle Street Chambers building are Tom Cannon, project manager, left, and Jonathan Stubbs, development director, of Wykeland Group, with, rear, from left, Paul Thurlow, director of The Yorkshire Demolition and Reclamation Company; James Lockwood, director, ID Architecture; Keith Ritchie, director, Voase Builders; and Rose Kennedy, chartered quantity surveyor at LHL Group. Picture: Katie Pugh

In 2020, the grade II-listed Earl De Grey’s historic frontage was removed brick by brick, before being placed into storage, prior to the start of the ongoing £350m A63 Castle Street improvement scheme to relieve congestion on the main route through Hull.

Now, a significant restoration project on Castle Street Chambers is underway which, once completed, will incorporate the reconstructed Earl De Grey.

Hull-based regeneration specialist Wykeland Group is behind the project, which will create more than 6,000 sq ft of commercial space. Wykeland has liaised with National Highways, Historic England and Hull City Council to bring the restoration project forward.

Wykeland development director Jonathan Stubbs said: “Castle Buildings is one of the most complex and challenging restoration projects we’ve undertaken.

“Having been unused for decades, the building is understandably in a very poor condition. Since acquiring the site in recent years, we have worked hard to bring forward this project which is now coming to fruition

“That has included taking down the Earl De Grey before the A63 works, while retaining its listed frontage in order that it can be reinstated as part of this exciting development.

“In all of our restoration projects, protecting and enhancing heritage is at the forefront of our approach. That is certainly the case with Castle Street Chambers and the Earl De Grey.

“This project represents a significant investment into Hull city centre, rejuvenating a key corridor which links Connexin Live and the heart of the city centre to the Marina and thriving Fruit Market.”

The first phase of the restoration will see the scaffolding removed from Castle Street Chambers, revealing the derelict building behind it.

Piling work will then start at the site of the new Earl De Grey, before Castle Street Chambers is re-scaffolded for roof and window repair work, as well as general improvement to the brickwork.

A small single-storey extension will be built on the side of the building, before the frontage of the Earl De Grey is brought back to the site and reassembled, facing the Connexin Live arena.

The full restoration project is expected to take around a year, with completion due in early 2025.

The Yorkshire Demolition and Reclamation Company was appointed to carry out the first phase of the restoration.

The firm, which also dismantled the Earl De Grey, will first remove the scaffolding and hoarding before carrying out work on the internal strip-out of the building.

The restoration is supported by £162,000 of Levelling Up Funding, allocated by Hull City Council.

Restoration begins on historic Castle Street Chambers in Hull and one of city's oldest pubs Earl De Grey