Ferens Hall

History

Since 1957, Ferens Hall has been used to house the students of the University of Hull, originally as all men's accommodation and then later as all women's accommodation and then finally as a mixed hall of residence. Ferens Hall was of the traditional type of accommodation for a university student with facilities such as a large library, Junior and Senior Common Rooms, games room and dining hall. Traditional standards included wardens, Dons (later to be changed to Assistant Wardens) and senior residents making up a senior staff with undergraduates forming the junior division of the hall. All the residents would sit down to morning and evening meals together.

Hall fees were very competitive in 1967. The cost for a year's accommodation was £150; this included all meals at the weekend, and breakfast and dinner on weekdays. This compared favourably with the £180 charged by Newcastle's Henderson hall at the time. From 2001 some restructuring occurred to this traditional hall including the closure of its canteen; since then Ferens students have been required to join students from other halls in the Lawns complex in sharing the Lawns centre facilities such as university catered meals, bars, and shops.

2007 floods

In June 2007 during the 2007 United Kingdom floods Ferens Hall was flooded with damage including the destruction of the boilers and mains electrical grid located in the basement.

Ferens Junior Common Room

The JCR, although open and functioning before 1976, was officially opened by Lionel Blair in 1976. The JCR initially during the traditional hall years was home to a bar and a separate billiards room.

The modern JCR has lost the regular use of its bar save for special and formal occasions. Students must now go to the Lawns Centre for alcoholic beverages. The billiard table remained in Ferens Hall until June 2009. The main JCR is now home to such equipment as a Juke box, Pool Table, Arcade Machines, Table Football and Table Tennis. There is now only one TV room with digital TV and high definition located in the first floor TV room.

Building

The building was designed by Foreman and Co, and based on a traditional quadrangle layout. The 'guard house' was originally the senior officer's residence, when 'Camp Hall' was an American Army camp. There has been some discussion of the maintenance tunnels below the building which do not appear on any plans. In the 1970s these tunnels connecting the different parts of the building were sealed. However, over the years, there has been a number of students claiming to have found an, as yet undiscovered, entrance to the shafts that lead to these tunnels. The tunnels were said to run from the small infirmary under Ferens Hall to the Brig, a single cell military prison under the old guard house, and to the boiler room that was underneath the Supply building. The Supply building was demolished in 1954 as it was thought to be unsafe. This is in the area that now holds the Lawns centre

Personnel

The first warden of the hall was Jim Treherne who had been warden of Camp Hall from 1951 onwards. The warden of Camp Hall lived in the 'guard house' until 1957, at which point it was taken over by various people, including Miss Ivy Saxby, Domestic Bursar. He and his family moved into the new building in 1957. In his diaries Jim Treherne recorded that Wednesday evenings often featured a visiting guest. He records the many visits made by Sir Brynmor Jones, Vice-Chancellor, and Philip Larkin, who was a regular and welcome guest. Students enjoyed monthly 'smokers' which were social evenings with a great deal of smoking and beer drinking.

The current warden of Ferens Hall, Philip White, was appointed in 2009.

Ferens Hall Personnel 1957–Present

Mr A. J. Treherne has been identified by reunion students from 1978 as still being their Warden and is Ferens hall's longest serving Warden of no less than 27 years.

Ferens Hall always had a good reputation for its social life. Many students were very successful academically, leaving to go on into the Law and other leading professions. There are several 'old boy' associations.