One of the most interesting and historic pubs in Hull, Ye Old Black Boy is a local treasure.

The Venue
This building can be traced back to as far as 1331 and, in its time, has been a brothel, a fish shop, a corn merchant’s and an insurance broker’s.

It got its name from when it was a coffee shop in the 18th century and the owner employed a north African boy who boosted trade due to his exotic novelty factor (another theory has it that it was named after King Charles II whose swarthy looks earned him the name “the black boy”). It became a pub in 1724 and is the oldest licensed bar in Hull.

It has three underground passages which run to the river and were much used by smugglers and press gangs, as well as for legitimate purposes, in times gone by.

It's yellow and black on the outside with original leaded windows, and the front bar is tiny and can fit around a dozen people at a tight squeeze. It is totally dark wood panelled with brass plates, beams in the ceiling, copper-topped tables and an old clock and lots of pictures on the walls.There’s an open copper fireplace and Toby jugs in a glass cabinet.

You have to use the narrow alley on the side to get to the back bar which is bigger and has dried hops hanging from the ceiling and newspaper articles about slavery on the walls. These are in deference to local lad William Wilberforce, who led the abolition of slavery and was born a few yards down the road.

It’s recently been taken over by Paul and the team from The George Hotel and the upstairs room, with its extraordinary original features, is currently being cleaned out with a view to re-opening soon.

The People
The pub attracts a whole range of customers, from locals to visitors, all drawn by the history of the place. It’s also meant to be haunted by a ghost which occasionally makes its appearance at the cellar door hatch. You’ve been warned.

The Food and Drink
On draught you’ve got an excellent range including Timothy Taylor Landlord, Black Sheep, Guinness, Tetley’s, Wothington’s, Carling, Stella, Hoegaarden, Hopback’s Summer Lightning, Skipton’s Copper Dragon, Golden Pippin and Old Rosie.

In bottles there’s a more regular selection of Beck’s, Corona, Budweiser and Peroni. Fruit wines are £2.50 a glass and include blueberry, bilberry and peach, although the drinks list is being revised. Once the kitchen upstairs is sorted out they’ll start doing Sunday lunches too, and possibly food in the week.

The Last Word
You won’t find a better place to sit and pass the hours sipping some great brews while wallowing in a slice of local history.

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