The Winding House on Victoria Dock is a building which is writ large in the heritage and history of Kingston Upon Hull. The 150-year-old building is the oldest on the dock itself and is the only remaining building which dates back to the area’s shipping heyday. The Winding House was originally home to a stationary steam engine which winched ships into the dock from the Humber estuary.

However, since the cessation of this activity, and the subsequent rebirth of Victoria Dock as one of the city’s most popular residential locations, the Winding House itself, whilst still part of the city’s heritage trail, was allowed to fall into a state of gradual disrepair. It’s once iconic tower becoming an increasingly sorry sight. That is until serviced accommodation specialists, Hull Serviced Apartments, acquired the building. They have since spent the last couple of years, redeveloping and restoring the building, and have to date invested over a million pounds in the project.

Along the way they had many conversations with local council and planning representatives, who whilst pleased to see it finally rejuvenated were also keen to see its architectural and heritage value retained. Which is what, as the council themselves agreed, made HSA the perfect new owners for the Winding House. Such projects align perfectly with their ethos of regenerating and re-purposing local buildings of historical value and preserving and enhancing this, whilst also respectfully modernising them and giving them a new lease of life. Other already active properties of theirs include the old Charterhouse School and the James Reckitt Library.

Fast forward to April 2019 and this Easter weekend will see the opening of the Winding House Serviced Apartments. HSA Managing Director James Ledger said that he is extremely proud of his team’s achievements and the end result of several years’ work: “In comparison to some of our other projects, this has felt like quite a long journey, and we have been keen to ensure all the various planning, heritage and civic groups have approved of the work we have undertaken.”

The building is now set for launch, and James said that he is excited to finally see it ready to welcome and play host to the increasing numbers of guests which Hull attracts from all over the UK, and indeed all over the world: “The combined developments of Hull’s rise as a significant UK cultural centre as well as its emergence as a leading hub in the renewable energy industry have meant that it is firmly on the national and international map these days, and we now don’t just get people coming for a day trip or a weekend break, but also people who are planning to spend anything from a few days to a few months in the city. Such guests are therefore keen to find somewhere to stay which is more of a ‘home away from home’ for them, and as a business, this is the service we focus on providing.”

Here we unveil some exclusive first pictures of the property, showing the dramatic transformation which it has undergone, highlighting not only its impressive new exterior, and stylish interiors, but also the fantastic outward views from the building both down and across the Humber, offering a new perspective on the city’s skyline and waterways. Hard not to suspect it may be one you’ll be seeing again and again on Instagram in the coming months.