The Pride of Hull: The Story of the Kirkella — Britain’s Last Great Distant-Water Trawler

There are few sights as striking as the gleaming white and yellow hull of the Kirkella cutting through the cold grey waters of the North Sea. Towering above the waves, her name painted proudly across her bow, this magnificent vessel stands not just as a trawler, but as a symbol — of Hull’s enduring connection to the sea, of its proud fishing heritage, and of a city that once fed a nation

'>Kirkella represents the living legacy of a trade that shaped Hull’s identity for generations.

A Modern Giant with Old-School Spirit

Commissioned in 2018, the Kirkella — officially registered as UK Fisheries’ Hull-based freezer trawler H 7 Kirkella — was built to bring the golden age of Hull’s fishing fleet into the twenty-first century. She was named in honour of the old fishing trawlers that bore the same name before her, continuing a proud line stretching back decades.

Measuring 81 metres in length and weighing around 4,000 tonnes, the Kirkella is no ordinary trawler. She’s a state-of-the-art factory vessel designed to fish in some of the harshest seas on Earth — from the Arctic waters off Norway, Greenland, and the Barents Sea, to the icy fringes of the North Atlantic.

On board, her crew of around 30 men work weeks at sea, hauling and processing some of the finest cod and haddock in the world — fish that end up on plates across the UK, including in the nation’s favourite dish: fish and chips.

Every cod fillet wrapped in newspaper has a story behind it — and for many in Britain, that story begins on the Kirkella.

Built for the Future, Inspired by the Past

The Kirkella was built in Poland and Spain before being completed in Norway, a product of international craftsmanship united under the British flag. She was designed with efficiency, safety, and sustainability in mind — a reflection of how far the fishing industry has come since the days of the old sidewinders and steam trawlers that once filled Hull’s docks.

Yet despite her modern features — automated filleting systems, freezing facilities capable of processing 120 tonnes of fish per day, and comfortable living quarters for the crew — the Kirkella still carries the soul of Hull’s fishing tradition.

Her name is a tribute to the fishing vessels of the Kirkella line that came before her, and her home port of Kingston upon Hull remains proudly painted on her stern. She’s a reminder of when Hull was known as the greatest fishing port in the world, a time when the city’s economy and identity were built on saltwater and sacrifice.

The Heartbeat of a Vanished Fleet

In the mid-20th century, Hull’s docks were home to hundreds of trawlers. Thousands of men risked their lives to feed the country, sailing from St. Andrew’s Dock into the treacherous Arctic seas in search of cod. For many families, fishing wasn’t just a job — it was life itself.

But tragedy and change came hand in hand. The Triple Trawler Disaster of 1968, in which the St. Romanus, Kingston Peridot, and Ross Cleveland were lost with 58 men, devastated the city and forever changed Hull’s relationship with the sea.

By the late 1970s, the Cod Wars and changes to international fishing rights all but ended Britain’s deep-sea fishing dominance. Hull’s once-bustling docks fell silent. The smell of fish, the clatter of ice, and the roar of engines were replaced by empty warehouses and memories.

Yet, decades later, one ship rose to carry that spirit forward.

The Return of the Trawler

When the Kirkella arrived in Hull in April 2018, crowds lined the waterfront to welcome her home. Her arrival was emotional — a moment that seemed to bridge generations.

Here was a ship that looked modern and futuristic, yet her purpose was as old as the Humber itself: to bring home fish for Britain. To many in Hull, the Kirkella was a lifeline — proof that the city’s proud maritime traditions still had a place in the modern world.

Her deck, her lines, her Hull registration — everything about her spoke to continuity. She wasn’t just another trawler; she was a symbol of identity and resilience.

The Brexit Battles and the Fight for Access

Kirkella’s story, however, hasn’t been smooth sailing. Following Brexit, the vessel became entangled in complex international fishing negotiations between the UK, Norway, and Greenland.

In early 2021, she was forced to remain moored at Hull’s King George Dock, unable to fish due to the lack of post-Brexit agreements granting access to key fishing grounds in Norwegian waters.

The image of the great trawler sitting idle in port was a poignant one — a modern reflection of old political tides that have often shaped the fate of Hull’s fishermen.

Eventually, partial agreements allowed the Kirkella to return to the northern seas, but her struggles highlighted how fragile the industry remains, even for a vessel of her scale and sophistication.

A Floating Factory of the North

Step aboard the Kirkella, and you’re entering a world where technology and tradition meet. Below deck, stainless steel conveyor belts carry freshly caught cod and haddock through automatic filleting machines before they’re frozen within hours — locking in freshness and ensuring the highest quality.

For the crew, life is tough but rewarding. They work in 12-hour shifts, often in freezing conditions, surrounded by ice and wind, with waves that can reach 20 feet high. Yet they take immense pride in their work — upholding a way of life that connects them to generations of Hull fishermen who came before.

The camaraderie, the discipline, the long nights at sea — these are the threads that bind the past and present together.

A Symbol of What Hull Stands For

In many ways, the Kirkella is more than a trawler — she’s a floating monument to Hull’s soul. Her name connects back to a proud lineage of ships and men who shaped the city’s history. Her crew embodies the same courage, endurance, and spirit that defined Hull’s fishing community for over a century.

Every time she sails out through the Humber estuary, she carries with her the hopes of a city that refuses to forget its roots. She represents not only the last great distant-water trawler of Britain, but also the resilience of a people who’ve weathered storms — both literal and political — and still find their way back to sea.

The Legacy Lives On

The Kirkella’s story is still being written. She continues to sail from Hull, catching fish from the cold Arctic waters that once claimed so many of her predecessors. She stands as a reminder that while Hull’s docks may have changed, the city’s connection to the sea remains unbroken.

For many, seeing the Kirkella return to port — her decks glistening with frost, her holds full, and her crew weary but proud — is to glimpse something timeless. It’s Hull’s past and present colliding in one magnificent ship.

As the gulls wheel above the Humber and the evening light turns the water gold, the Kirkella glides toward home — a beacon of endurance, pride, and history.

And in that moment, she’s more than steel and machinery.
She’s Hull itself.

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