At the junction between Princes Avenue and Spring Bank West stands a curved row of shops. I suppose you could call it the end of the road. They stretch from the cemetery up to the three storied Dutch style row of shops that line Princes Avenue’s north western side.
The curved row of shops was built around 1926 and took the place of the entrance and lodge that graced the cemetery. Designed by Gelder and Kitchin they were designed to assist the road widening that went on then. They also were a fashionable design statement for the time.
For those with long memories three of the shops were rented by the toy shop Dugglebys. Their shop window displays were a joy to bay with no pocket money. For those people who have more recent memories the shop Gwenap was a highlight. Featuring risqué items of clothing and a selection of ‘sex toys’ it became something of a tourist attraction. Both shops have sadly closed now.
The Office at the End of the Road
However this item deals with the first two units of the block. These are the two nearest the cemetery. When the Lodge was destroyed the Company need a replacement office. As such it owned the two units mentioned above. One became the cemetery office. A shop unit adjacent was rented out. The superintendent lived above both units in a flat.
By the time the Company was attempting to dissolve itself these were their final assets. In May 1972 the Hull Daily Mail published a short news item. The newspaper stated that these units had been sold at auction. With this sale the management and administration of the cemetery ended.
The sale raised £2700. This money was used to fund the Company’s legal costs to terminate itself.
It truly was the end of the road, quite literally.
Pete Lowden is a member of the Friends of Hull General Cemetery committee which is committed to reclaiming the cemetery and returning it back to a community resource.
Thanks for the post Pete, the buildings are probably not Gelder & Kitchen’s best examples of 20th century architecture!