Thorngumbald Clough Low Lighthouse

Paull lies on the north bank of the Humber Estuary in the East Riding of Yorkshire, about six miles east of Hull. The village sits on a narrow strip of land between the estuary to the south and drained fields to the north. Low-lying fields stretch inland, mostly below five metres, protected by flood banks cut with tidal mud-flat reserves. Three small hills—Rose Hill, Boreas Hill and Holme Hill—rise to about ten metres, giving views across the flat landscape. The shoreline is lined with wide tidal mud flats exposed at low tide. The village itself contains a church, a working lighthouse, two pubs and a small museum in a former coastal battery. The place is worth reaching for its unusual lighthouse and the story of its defences. The low light marks the mouth of Hedon Haven where medieval fishermen once launched ships for the Royal Navy. The battery at Paull Battery, now Fort Paull museum, shows how the site guarded the Humber in the 16th century and again during the Napoleonic Wars. Shrimp fishing once thrived here, with scores of small boats known as Paull Shrimpers working the estuary in the early 20th century. The village church, rebuilt around 1355 after floods, carries scars from the English Civil War when it was burnt during an attack on the fort. Visitors find a quiet village with a working lighthouse standing beside the church. The Humber Tavern and the Royal Oak offer local ales and meals. Fort Paull’s museum occupies the old gun battery, filled with cannons and displays about coastal defence. A nature reserve at Paull Holme Strays shows how flood banks have been cut to create wetland for birds. The church of St Andrew still stands with its battlemented tower and Perpendicular windows, repaired after damage in 1642. From the hills behind the village there are long views over the drained fields to the mud flats and the distant refinery at Salt End.