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Hessle
Hessle Library at Southgate
Hessle  Hessle shown within the East Riding of Yorkshire
Population	14,767 (2001 census)[1]
OS grid reference	TA034264
Parish	Hessle
Unitary authority	East Riding of Yorkshire
Ceremonial county	East Riding of Yorkshire
Region	Yorkshire and the Humber
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	HESSLE
Postcode district	HU13
Dialling code	01482
Police	Humberside
Fire	Humberside
Ambulance	Yorkshire
EU Parliament	Yorkshire and the Humber
UK Parliament	Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle
List of places: UKʉۢ Englandʉۢ Yorkshire

Hessle

The centre of Hessle is called "Hessle Square" or "The Square" for short. There are many shops and a small bus station - which was refitted in 2007. Hessle All Saints Church is located just off the Square. Hessle Town Hall was built in 1897 and is situated at the top of South Lane. Hessle Police Station is next door to the town hall at the top of South Lane and the corner of Ferriby Road.

The Upper School site of Hessle High School situated on Heads Lane is centred around a building donated to the Education Authority by Algernon Barkworth, a survivor of the Titanic disaster. Its education standards remain high, with it having a Specialist Science College status and achieving some of the best results in the county. In the 13th century Joan Stuteville from this ancient settlement introduced the custom of ladies riding side-saddle on horses.

In more modern times, it has been a centre for shipbuilding. The largest shipbuilder, Richard Dunston's, went into liquidation in 1987 and was bought by Damen Shipyards Group in the same year. Dunston's was closed down in 1994. The location is now used as offices, car sales buildings and a dock for scrap metal and other materials for dispatch to other areas, or to be recycled. Richard Dunston's ship repairs still exists further east along the Humber Estuary, with activity remaining high.

Chalk-quarrying was a major industry at Hessle into the 20th century and quarries can still be seen in the west of the town, the largest being the Humber Bridge Country Park, which is a popular tourist attraction. Part of it is known as Little Switzerland (Little Switz or Switzy for short).

Hessle is twinned with the French town of Bourg-de-Thizy.

Transport to and from Hessle is convenient, with good access to main roads such as the A15, A63 & M62 (via the A63). It also has a railway station with hourly services to and from Hull and to destinations such as Doncaster and York.

Hessle is at the start of the Yorkshire Wolds Way, a long-distance footpath and designated National Trail, which crosses the Yorkshire Wolds and ends at Filey.

On 25 June 2007, torrential rain hit the north-east of England and 100mm of rain fell in a few hours. Several people died across the affected area and the first fatality occurred in Hessle. A 28-year-old man became trapped when his foot was stuck in a storm drain. He was overwhelmed by rising water and although emergency services gave him oxygen he died of hypothermia.^[2] Sky News filmed the operation and broadcast some of the footage in the days after the event. They were criticised for this but responded that the victim's family had approved the broadcast.^[3] The floods caused the formation of a local residents association, HCARA (Hessle Community Action Residents Association) who have since been working with the various bodies to campaign for improvements in defences against floods in the lower Hessle area.

Earliest found records of the Hessle Feast date from the 1800s. These have it as an annual event around Whitsuntide (May). A time of enjoyment, when the people of the Parish would gather to celebrate the coming year.

Hessle Feast 2006

From articles in 1808 and 1836 it is clear that the Feast had become a major event bringing in people from neighbouring towns and villages. With much excitement, racing, noise and jubilee. As ever the youth made it their own. Even in the earliest reports, there are Churchwardens concerns over noisy and drunken behaviour “particularly of the young men of Hull� who visited the parish.

Resurrected around 15 years ago, after many years of absence, the Feast has again become an event of enjoyment and embraced by the whole community of Hessle.

Previous Feasts include one which occurred in July 2006. It succeeded in attracting over 5000 local residents and visitors to the area and was an entertaining day of charitable money raising, family fun and live music. The event hosted many activities such as a Battle of the Bands which took place on the main stage in Hessle Square, a 'Buskathon' centred down Prestongate and local bands centred on a smaller stage on The Weir. There was also a Boat Race around the streets of Hessle, which was eventually won by army cadets carrying an inflatable float. The event was partly funded and majorly sponsored by Kingston Communications and Yorkshire Water who were working in the area at the time.

Hessle Feast returned, after a 3 year absence due to the 2007 United Kingdom floods, in 2009. It was officially opened by the current Home Secretary, Hull West and Hessle MP, Alan Johnson, and the Mayor of Hessle, Frank Kitchen, at 1 p.m..

The most recent Feast day was Sunday 12 July 2009 and entertained crowds over a larger area than previously to encourage more business to the less immediate areas of Hessle. In the Square, the main stage starred the Hessle's Got Talent Final and the Crave and Serenity Fashion Show. The square's stage was compared by KCFM DJ Dave Hudson. Prestongate had further stalls and barbecues. The Weir also had a stage with live music played all afternoon. On the Feast day, a World Record for 'poppadom stacking' was broken on the Weir by the indian takeaway 'Jolsha', officated by Alan Johnson MP. Following on from the Weir is Tower Hill Park, which was mainly occupied by the Army who had assault courses and climbing walls, which, as in previous years, focused on activities for the younger generations. The Feast also reached the area past the library, which held a 3rd stage with live local bands chosen by the Hase Pub. The Boat Race was won by the youth sports team the Norland Sharks who were the fastest at running round Hessle carrying an inflatable boat. The Hessle Feast 2009 Committee was an independent body of unpaid volunteers that organised the event in the Pubs of Hessle. The even was majorly sponsored by KCFM and Hull Colour Pages, with the additional funding of the local town council.

The next Hessle Feast festival will take place in 2011 and is promised to be 'bigger and better than ever before'.