Whitefriargate takes its name from the Carmelite friary that occupied the site in the Middle Ages. After the Dissolution it became one of Hull's main commercial streets and has remained so ever since. The pedestrianised section runs east from Queen Victoria Square towards the Old Town and is lined with high-street shops, banks, and a few older buildings — including the Trinity House frontage halfway along.
The street has felt the squeeze from out-of-town retail and changing high-street habits, with vacancies common. The 2017 City of Culture and the wider regeneration have brought some new occupants, including independent traders. It is still the most useful route through the city centre on foot.