Hull Trinity House was founded as a religious fraternity in 1369 and granted a royal charter in 1457 to look after mariners and their families. The institution still exists, runs a nautical college, and operates a navigation school for cadets that trains for the merchant marine. The current complex on Trinity House Lane, behind Whitefriargate, dates mostly from the 18th and 19th centuries.
The chapel and the small museum are open by appointment, and the courtyards are open during the year for special events such as Heritage Open Days. Even from the street, the carved frontage on Trinity House Lane — with sailors and a globe — is a quietly impressive piece of maritime iconography in the heart of the city.