Beverley and Barmston Drain
Sculcoates Lane
Beverley and Barmston Drain
Explore the route
Industry
The Needlers Factory
Fred Needler set up his chocolate and confectionary business in 1886 at Hanover Square in Hull. After several moves to new premises, the business had grown so large that a purpose-built factory was opened on Sculcoates Lane in 1906. By 1912 Needlers were producing 576 lines, 74 of which were chocolate, and by 1920 the company was making 650 tons of chocolate and 1,500 tons of sweets per year.
Fred Needler treated his staff fairly and shared some of his profits with them and was also a generous benefactor to several charities. The employees were said to have enjoyed excellent welfare and social provisions.
In 1938 the Needlers chemists discovered a way of producing glace fruit drops, quite unlike other boiled sweets at the time, and they went on to be a huge hit with consumers.
After many smaller shops closed due to the rise of supermarkets, Needlers products became less popular and the business was sold, the factory eventually closed in 2002 and was demolished soon after to be replaced by housing, commemorated in the name Needlers Way.
Electricity
Sculcoates Power Station
In 1880 Kingston upon Hull Corporation were authorised to supply electricity for public lighting through a private company to certain streets in the old town. A generating station was opened in Dagger Lane in 1882, by 1884 it was supplying 271 customers.
By 1898 the demand for electricity had grown so much, that a new coal fired generating station was built next to Beverley and Barmston Drain between Sculcoates Lane and the King George Dock railway line; this enabled coal to be brought by rail, while the drain provided a source of cooling water. The power station was extended several times and had 9 timber and one concrete cooling towers. It supplied 95,000 customers and 160 square miles of the East Riding during its working life, but it became redundant in 1976 and was demolished in 1979.
The area where the power station and its cooling towers stood has now been developed as housing.
Project Partners
Hull’s Dynamic Drains is led by the Environment Agency and delivered in partnership with Hull City Council , Groundwork Yorkshire and Yorkshire Wildlife Trust .