The history of Hull’s magical Whitefriargate and Old Town area will be celebrated with a new trail inspired by the White Rabbit from Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Carroll’s family had a strong connection with Hull, with his mother being raised in the city. The trail will visit locations in the Old Town that are linked to the Carroll family and the work of Lewis Carroll.
The White Rabbit Trail, which will run from Saturday 22 May until Tuesday 8 June, will also highlight lesser-known stories from the historic Old Town.
The historical facts and details of the trail have been put together by Hull historian Mike Covell.
Councillor Daren Hale, portfolio holder for regeneration at Hull City Council, said: “As part of the investment and regeneration in the Old Town and on Whitefriargate, we are delighted to be able to shine a light on the historic area and share some of its stories through events and activities.
“The White Rabbit Trail is a fantastic way for families to explore the area and find out how one of the world’s most famous children’s authors, and his most famous book, are connected to Hull.”
Lewis Carroll’s grandfather worked in the Old Town in various positions and his grandmother was buried at Hull Minster (formerly Holy Trinity Church).
To celebrate the city’s connection with Carroll, local Primary Schools were asked to design a Hull-based interpretation of the White Rabbit character from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
The winning entries will be displayed on the trail along with some quirky facts about Carroll and his family.
The project has been funded by Historic England as part of Hull’s High Street Heritage Action Zone and delivered in partnership with Hull Schools’ Library Service.
John Stonard from Historic England said: “We are delighted to fund this fun and fascinating project through the Whitefriargate High Street Heritage Action Zone. The trail will be a great way to educate and inspire families about Hull’s links to one of our most famous literary figures and his works.”
You can access and download a map of the White Rabbit Trial here.
The Whitefriargate regeneration project includes a number of grant schemes and funding projects. Whitefriargate has benefitted from £1m from the Humber LEP’s Humber High Street Challenge Fund and secured £1.75m from Historic England’s High Streets Heritage Action Zone programme.