Kingston upon Hull
Monks' wool port 12th century, became King's Town 1299. Whaling, then fishing (15,000 jobs lost in Cod Wars). Now Siemens wind blades, 13M tonnes cargo. National Geographic Best of World 2026.
Hull exists because monks needed a port. In the late 12th century, the monks of Meaux Abbey chose the junction of the rivers Hull and Humber for their wool exports—calling it Wyke upon Hull. Edward I recognized the strategic value: in 1299, he acquired the settlement and renamed it Kingston upon Hull, 'the King's Town.'
By the 14th century, Hull ranked as the foremost port on England's east coast. Wool exports to Flanders financed medieval prosperity; later, the Baltic trade and whaling added wealth. At peak, Hull's whaling fleet hunted from the Arctic to the South Seas. The city's fortunes rose with whatever the sea provided.
Fishing made Hull's modern reputation. Steam trawlers operating from Hull harvested the North Sea and beyond; at peak, the fleet employed 15,000. The Cod Wars of 1975-76 ended this era: Iceland's extension of fishing limits excluded British trawlers from traditional grounds, and the industry collapsed.
The pivot came through new industries. North Sea oil and gas extraction now employs thousands. Siemens Wind Power opened a blade factory at Alexandra Dock in 2016, producing the rotors for offshore wind farms. The port still handles 13 million tonnes of cargo annually; 23,000 jobs depend directly or indirectly on port operations.
National Geographic named Hull a 'Best of the World 2026' destination. A £3 million film studio complex will open by late 2025. The city that sent whalers to the Arctic now manufactures the technology for a renewable energy transition.
By 2026, Hull tests whether 800 years of maritime adaptation can continue into a post-fossil-fuel economy.