Hull’s Beverley Gate’s and its key part in the English Civil War

Close to the centre of Hull, at the top of Whitefriargate and near the Ferens Art Gallery lies Beverley Gate. It’s not the most impressive historical ruin to look at in East Yorkshire, but the history behind the site is fascinating, because the location played a crucial part in how the English Civil War in the 1600’s unfolded.

The English Civil Wars were a series of conflicts which took place in England in the middle of the 17th century. The two sides in the war consisted of those loyal to Charles I, the then King of England and those loyal to Parliament, who ended up in a power struggle. The Wars split loyalties between regions and even down to family alliances, they were fundamentally about power and religion.

Charles believed as King that he had absolute power and was the divine ruler (as appointed by God). He also felt that MP’s should do as he wished. Parliament and many of the Lords questioned the King’s continual raising of taxes for wars such as a failed war with Spain. Large scale disagreements built up between the King and Parliament and this anger grew as Charles I insisted upon his arbitrary use of power whereas Parliament were used to a more inclusive type of government.

There was also the added concern from the Protestant MPs, particularly the Puritans, that the King favoured Catholicism, especially after he married Princess Henrietta Maria of France.

When Parliament produced a list of demands called the Petition of Right to prevent the King’s misuse of law and taxation, King Charles dismissed Parliament (in 1629) and did not recall it for 11 years! During this period discontent grew. Charles eventually recalled Parliament but after only 3 weeks dismissed it again after disagreements with MP’s.

In 1642 Charles I attempted to arrest MPs who were opposing him in Parliament, accusing them of treason. The attempt failed and Parliament rebelled, with Charles fleeing London fearing his safety and headed north to York.

Over the next year both sides started raising armies and in August of that year, Charles I  raised his standard in Nottingham formally declaring war against Parliament.

But before declaring War in Nottingham, Charles had marched to Hull, which still held a huge armoury of weapons from the earlier Wars with Scotland. The cache of weapons was the country’s largest store of arms and larger than anything in London at the time. When he reached the city walls at Beverley Gate, he was met by Sir John Hotham.

The City was sieged during July of that year by Royalist troops and then again later in the year, both times resisting the Royalist troops. This defiance meant that the armoury remained in Parliaments hands throughout the whole of the English Civil War.

The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Hull was created by Edward I in 1299, and the City fortified between 1321 and 1332 with wooden defences. In 1404, the walls were rebuilt in brick enclosing the city on 3 sides with the River Hull protecting the City to the East.

The walls including Beverley Gate, one of 4 medieval gateways were strengthened in the 1540’s after the City had briefly fallen to rebels briefly during the Pilgrimage of Grace.

Beverley Gate is now preserved, with original bricks cleaned and protected and new bricks added to show how the gate would once have been constructed. There are now interpretation boards around the location, explaining  Beverley Gate’s key part in the English Civil War and as a symbol of Hull’s continual proud independence.

King Charles I and the Royalist army eventually lost a number of the key later battles in the English Civil War. The king was eventually captured by the Parliamentarians who were led by the Puritan Oliver Cromwell with his military commander the Yorkshireman Sir Thomas Fairfax.

Charles was tried for treason and eventually found guilty and beheaded – being the last King of England to be executed. With this in mind would the War have ended differently if Charles I had been given access to Hull’s armoury? Would Charles I and his Royalist army have come out victorious?

We shall never know, but it is great that Hull has decided to preserve this historic gateway, with Historic England making the site a Historic Monument. Beverley Gate certainly played a key part in the course of the Civil War.