The Deep - Hull

Advantages: Good sharks, interesting building
Disadvantages: Too many videos and gimmicks, not enough fish, dark central tank

...time - it's not exactly the sort of place you pass on the way to anywhere else. So knowing that the one thing I really wanted to see was the new 'Submarium' (nonsense name, I thought) I battled the one way system and a temperamental sat nav system to find it. Firstly, if you too are trying to get there with a Sat Nav system, it can be tricky. There's no road name given in the address. I plugged in Nelson Street which is apparently very close but ...
...Nav and follow them. It's the kind of place you can see but, like a tantallus, you can't quite grab it. First impressions - I'd love to say they were 'Wow! What an amazing looking building?' but in fact my first impressions were 'Gosh, is the weather ALWAYS as awful as this?' The wind was blowing a gale and the spray off the Humber was spiking horizontally across the car park. Apparently the building was designed by Terry Farrell and Partners but ... Read review

Advantages: fun, informative, interactive
Disadvantages: car park charges

On the last day of the summer hols I took my two kids to The Deep. First and foremost, there is no fishy smell in the areas of Hull that people are likely to visit for fun! Now that that is out of the way, I'll describe my experience. The first thing we noticed was of course the car park. Three quid! I would have expected the car park to be free to visitors -- it's not like there was an attendant to look after your stuff! Living in Hull, I know the ...
...multi-storey car parks in the town centre. Prices there start at something like £2 for a couple of hours, and go up bit by bit the longer you stay. I noticed that for £2.70 you can park for up to 6 hours. There is an "all day" price as well but I can't remember it -- sorry. If all you're doing is visiting The Deep, you need about two to two-and-a-half hours to go around it, plus walking from and to the carpark. It only takes about 10 mins maximum ... Read review

Advantages: amazing fish, really interesting
Disadvantages: quite expensive

...everywhere from a leaflet in the pub to the local news, and filled with a burning curiosity about the city of Hull, my friends and I were planning a trip to The Deep last week. However, among the confirmed fish enthusiasts, there was a dissenter. 'The thing is,' said Catherine, 'I don't really like fish.' When we had recovered from the shock of this revelation, we pressed her further. 'Well, if it's going to be anything like the Sea Life Centre ...
...don't know if it was the promise of our sparkling company or the fact that the adverts we had seen made it look brillliant, but she decided to keep an open mind. We took the bus to Hull from York, and walked to the venue from the station. It took about fifteen minutes [including slight diversions caused by the windows of shoe-shops!] and was well signposted all the way - although the building itself was not marked as clearly as it could have been. ... Read review

Advantages: Fish, Fish and more fish
Disadvantages: Long entrance queues.

We decided to visit the Deep last whilst on holiday in Yorkshire. It is situated on the Banks of the River Humber, which is in YORKSHIRE, no where near LONDON, as someone at Ciao thinks, my thanks to Silverback for pointing this out., anyway it's an area which is in the process of being built up. We travelled by car and although we could see the building has some trouble actually getting to it. However this was a year ago and there was lots of roadworks ...
...bus. Or you can use the Park and Ride that goes to the City Centre. The deep is a short walk away from here. A normal visit is meant to last around two hours so you could combine it with a shopping trip. There is a car park at the Deep, costing £3. If you present this at the shop or cafe you will get a £2 discount. The opening times are 10am to 6pm every day. It is recommended you visit in the afternoon as it is meant to be quieter but the day ... Read review

Advantages: Educational, inexpensive, amazing views of fish
Disadvantages: Interactive displays difficult to access when busy

...a very long one, but The Deep is slowly changing this outdated image. The Deep is Europe's largest "Submarium". No, I don't know what a submarium is either, but essentially it is a big aquarium. The building was designed by Norman Foster and is position on the junction of the River Hull and the Humber Estuary, some 15 minutes from the Humber Bridge and in the centre of the city of Hull. From the outside the building has a striking design, appearing ...
...into the river junction. Parking is ample and a special footbridge has been constructed to allow easy access to the shopping and eateries of the city centre. A shuttle bus runs from the train station to the Deep every 15 minutes, it is easy to spot - it's purple and a had "The Deep" plastered all over it. The bus also makes stops in the city centre. Entry is £6, I advise tickets to be bought in advance online or at the tourist information office ... Read review

Advantages: Interesting and lots of species to see
Disadvantages: If your not interested in fish,it might not be so much fun 4u!!!

...The Deep is based in Hull in Yorkshire right on the edge of the Humber Estuary. It opened in 2002 and is a charitable aquarium working towards raising public awareness of the threats to the fish, mammals and plants that live in the ocean and supports the marine conservation society. LOCATION Its in a great location for visiting the rest of the city as its only a five minute walk away from the city centre where there is lots of shopping to be done, some great cafes and pubs and there are also a handful of museums scattered around the town. A recently build pedestrian and cycle bridge was built at the side of the Deep which actually links the aquarium to the old quarter of the city. However if you dont fancy and are literally just visiting the city for The Deep there is a large car park right outside the building. The car park... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Plenty to do, Some nice accommodation, Good shops
Disadvantages: Not many restaurants to choose from, Some Hull residents, Public transport poor

...floor with all designer names up to 75% off! The floor also has a furniture and gift section. Hull's Prince's Quay shopping centre can cater for all tastes. Built on the site of an old dock, there are many shops to choose from and the top deck offers a unique experience with several specialist shops. Certain shops in Hull will be found dissappointing such as the small Marks and Spencer's store. Hull can offer a good shopping experience and shops open till around 6:00pm. - ATTRACTIONS - Hull has become a thriving tourist destination in recent years. The opening of 'The Deep' in 2002 brought 1000's of visitors to the city. It offers a unique experience where you take a trip back in time millions of years to the creation of the earth. You then follow a facinating time-line to the present day telling the story of the world's oceans... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: No longer smells of fish, even Warty Doris
Disadvantages: Sometimes smells of failure

...who lived here, "only salesmen and relations come". The resulting lack of prospects or chances of migration produced a culture of low ambition: the expectation of failure has seeped deep into the bones of its people. To quote a colleague who grew up near here, it's an underachiever's paradise (which is, admittedly, one reason I fit in so well). But thanks to the M62, upgraded ferries to mainland Europe, and better local roads, Hull is far easier to reach (and get out of) these days. For the uninitiated, you'll find it on the Humber estuary, halfway up the eastern coast of Britain, about 220 miles north of London. However, tolls on the Humber Bridge, ostensibly the city's gateway, are a scandalous £2.70 each way, hardly providing an incentive to visit. Maybe they're designed to stop people leaving. Yet people do visit Hull. Its... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful