Hull's Old Town

The cobbled streets of Hull's Old Town pull you back three centuries the moment you step onto them. This is where the city's maritime guts still show - narrow alleyways, Georgian townhouses with their original windows intact, and the smell of salt water drifting up from the River Hull itself.

You can wander freely here. The old merchant quarter sprawls across maybe twenty blocks, and there's genuine pleasure in getting lost among the streets without a plan. St Mary's Church dominates one end, all honey-coloured stone and medieval solidity. The Maister House is where you'll spot the architectural showiness - that's the kind of building that makes you stop mid-walk and actually look up.

History buffs will spend a good two or three hours picking over the details. There's real substance here about the slave trade, whaling ships, and how this ordinary-looking Yorkshire city once punched well above its weight globally. Families with younger kids might find thirty minutes enough before restlessness sets in, though the riverside walk alongside keeps things interesting.

It's free to explore, which is brilliant. Head here early on a weekday if you can - weekends pull crowds. Spring Valley Campsite sits just 6 miles south near Beverley, making it a sensible base if you're doing a broader East Yorkshire loop. Don't expect a postcard-pretty village. Expect honest, lived-in streets with genuine character and the genuine feeling you're standing somewhere that actually mattered.