With a hosepipe ban just announced, our medieval blockade correspondent Angus Young outlines how water supply has always been problematic.
The Romans, Vikings and Normans largely steered clear of invading Hull, largely because the place didn’t exist at the time. But by 1392 Kingston upon Hull was both an established town and borough with its own set of Royal charters. The year marked the first ever siege of Hull but those taking up arms against the town weren’t from abroad or even marauding Scots. Instead, they hailed from just up the road.
Hull’s Royal first charter granted by King Edward in 1299 created a system of local governance as well as providing the right to hold a twice-weekly market and an annual 30-day fair. Others followed, giving more powers and rights and the 1382 charter granted by King Richard II paved the way for a new era of prosperity by handing control of the River Hull’s Old Harbour to the Mayor and Burgesses. However, the town’s expansion led to an increasing demand for fresh water which was in short supply.
Surrounded by salty marshland, early medieval Hull’s thirst was usually satisfied by beer or wine with drinking water being shipped across the Humber in barrels after being extracted from springs in Lincolnshire. This was because control of natural springs to the west of the town rested with parishes who resisted repeated attempts by Hull’s leaders to take them over.
Hostilities between the two sides reached a peak in 1392 when around 1,000 armed men from parishes in Anlaby, Cottingham and Wolfreton banded together and laid siege to Hull, threatening to burn it to the ground. They were angry about the digging of a number of dykes to bring fresh water to Hull which they claimed had not only damaged their farmland but also deprived them of water.
A history of Hull written by Thomas Gent in 1735 features what is believed to be the first account of what happened next. (Warning: the following contains descriptions of violence, execution and, er, poetry.)
“In the SpringTime, near a thousand Persons, belonging to Cottingham, Wolfreton, Anlaby and other neighbouring Towns, being offended, that the inhabitants of Hull, had, by cutting the Earth, drawn some fresh Water from them; they bound themselves, with a terrible Oath, to stand by one another whilst they were able to shed their last Drops of Blood. Then, having ordain’d the most rustical Leaders, they appear’d in the Sort of Arms, ransacking Houses, and abusing such Owners, who would not as madly confederate with them.
“Soon did they lay Siege to Hull, vowing the utter Destruction of it. Being strangely poetically given too, they made such insipid Rhimes, to encourage the Seditious, as indeed would dishonour the Flights of Antiquity, should such ridiculous Stuff be publicly set forth.
“The Canals, which had been made at vast Expense, quickly fill’d up, almost as they had been before. But tho’ by these Means they had spitefully deprived the Town of fresh flowing Streams, and stopt Provisions that were sent to the valiant Inhabitants; yet these ill-advised Wretches found themselves too much much deluded, and withal too impotent, to prevail against them.
“Upon which, withdrawing to Cottingham; and afterwards, through Fear, dispersing; some fled quite away; others, taken, and sent to York, were executed; and about 30 obtained Pardon, upon their Penitence, and faithful Promise, never to attempt the like again.”
Despite those promises, trouble rumbled on. Subsequent dyke-digging led to attacks on men carrying out the work and acts of sabotage, including carcasses of dead animals being dumped in the water to pollute it.
The cross-border hostilities finally came to an end in 1413 thanks to the unlikely intervention of Pope Gregory XII who issued a letter urging the East Riding side to give up their campaign for their own spiritual well-being. The Pope’s letter seemed to do the trick and later Royal charters for Hull allowed the town to extend its boundaries to take in the whole of Haltemprice and acquire legal rights to its abundant natural springs.
The ‘water wars’ were over and before long a new channel was constructed to bring fresh water from Anlaby’s springs all the way to the town centre. The channel was originally known as Derringham Dyke and followed a route which now includes Spring Bank West, Spring Bank and Prospect Street.
Angus Young