Kingston upon Hull was founded by king [[Edward I]] in 1293, the king taking over an older port, known as Wyke, and belonging to the monks of Meaux Abbey. The town lay where the smaller River Hull entered the Humber, hence its dual name. Hull rapidly outstripped rival ports on the Humber estuary (helped by the fact that some of these were being overwhelmed by rising sea levels and others by silting) to become one of England's premier ports, a status it has maintained to this day. In 1800 Hull was the third largest port in England behind [[London]] and [[Liverpool]]. Today, as well as being a major cargo port, it is a terminal for ferries to and from the European mainland and is a major railhead. | Kingston upon Hull was founded by king [[Edward I]] in 1293, the king taking over an older port, known as Wyke, and belonging to the monks of Meaux Abbey. The town lay where the smaller River Hull entered the Humber, hence its dual name. Hull rapidly outstripped rival ports on the Humber estuary (helped by the fact that some of these were being overwhelmed by rising sea levels and others by silting) to become one of England's premier ports, a status it has maintained to this day. In 1800 Hull was the third largest port in England behind [[London]] and [[Liverpool]]. Today, as well as being a major cargo port, it is a terminal for ferries to and from the European mainland and is a major railhead. |