The Charterhouse began as a Carthusian priory and hospital founded by the de la Pole family in the 14th century. The priory was closed under Henry VIII, but the hospital survived, and the site was rebuilt after damage during the English Civil War and later the Hull Blitz.
The complex still has the Master's House, a walled garden, and Old House with its chapel. It is a quieter historic stop than Hull's big museums, but the long thread from medieval charity to modern almshouse makes it rewarding.