You could say that we had a whale of a time when we returned to Hull for a weekend in June. Which would give us something in common with Herman Melville, the author of Moby Dick.

Hull is a great place for a weekend break: easily accessible by train, very walkable and lots to see. I have written before about the Larkin and fish trails. What I haven’t done before is explore beyond the city itself.

This time, we took a bus out to the nearby village of Sproatley to visit Burton Constable Hall. It’s a pleasant walk from the village through the holiday park to the estate. On arrival at the Visitor Centre we were faced with a choice: Stables, Tea Room, House or Whale?

Yes, that’s right. Whale. As Lord of the Seignory of Holderness, the then owner of Burton Constable Hall, Sir Thomas Aston Clifford…