Hull City Council has issued an update on the works ongoing on Queen’s Gardens in Hull city centre.
Queens Gardens has been undergoing a extensive refurbishment since 2022, in a project that is now expected to cost more than £21 million. With the project set to be complete in late 2025, the council has given the LDRS an update on the work that has been ongoing ahead of the gardens’ grand reopening in the coming months.
The Rose Bowl fountain
The Rose Bowl fountain at the Eastern end of the gardens, across the road from the Maritime Museum, has undergone a full restoration. The work on the fountain has included repointing of surrounding walls, new paving, and the installation of a new filter system. The council have confirmed that a section of the Rose Bowl area and fountain is expected to reopen next month.
Refurbished ponds
The two large ponds in the gardens have received full refurbishments. Each of the ponds were drained, cleaned, and fitted with new filtrations and fountain systems. As a part of this process, thousands of fish were temporarily rehomed in aerated tanks and have now been safely returned to improved pond habitats.
Maritime-themed public realm
Queen’s Gardens sits at the heart of the wider ‘Hull Maritime’ project that is ongoing in various parts of the city. The gardens act as a link between two other key Maritime projects that are currently ongoing in the city centre. The gardens link Hull’s Maritime Museum, which is set to reopen in spring 2026, to the new home at the iconic Artic Corsair at the North End Shipyard. This link has been strengthened by the recent reopening of the Guildhall Road footpath with new paving, street furniture, and bespoke lighting reflecting the area’s maritime heritage. The new lighting seeks to replicate the cranes that loaded and unloaded ships when what is now Queen’s Gardens was a dock.
Other key improvements:
- Following its refurbishment, Queen’s Gardens will be in a condition to become a key event space in the city. The gardens’ refurbishment has included the infrastructure needed to hosts large events and it is hoped that the space, and events it will host, will help bring visitors into the city, boosting the local economy.
- The boundary walls of the gardens have had to have been rebuilt to address health and safety concerns.
- Fully accessible ramps and pathways have been added to improve accessibility throughout the gardens.
- 450 trees have now been planted in and around Queen’s Gardens, supporting urban green space in the city centre.
The project has been funded by capital funding which is money that must be spent on long term projects and assets such as the Queen’s Gardens refurbishment, rather than day to day services such as bin collections or social care.
The leader of Hull City Council Cllr Mike Ross has promised residents that “the wait will be worth it” as the light at the end of the Queen’s Gardens tunnel emerges. He said: “The intention of the works on Queen’s Gardens was to create a long-lasting future for an important green space within the city centre.
“This is a space that holds real significance for the people of Hull – a place to enjoy, to reflect, and to come together. The improvements already have transformed the gardens and once complete it will bring new life and purpose to the area, making it safer, greener, and more welcoming for residents, workers, and visitors alike.
“I know people are eager to see the gardens fully reopen, but work of this scale and quality takes time. There is investment not just in new features, but in the long-term future of the space – its sustainability, biodiversity, and accessibility. From restoring the ponds and Rose Bowl fountain to planting hundreds of trees and creating new accessible paths and seating areas, every step is about making Queens Garden’s a place for everyone.
“The wait will be worth it. When complete, it will be a vibrant and much-loved green space right in the heart of our city – one that everyone will be able to enjoy for years to come.”
