by Rebecca Hannant
Fort Paull is to reopen after two local men stepped forward to take the reins.
Nick Taylor and Nick Moore have taken over the running of the heritage site and plan to use it as an events venue.
After announcing the venture on Friday, May 17, “the two Nicks” have received widespread support from the community and fans of the museum.
The museum was closed in 2020 and has remained dormant every since. Many of the items were sold off to other collections, so the duo say they are now going to start from scratch.
Owner Brian Rushworth previously applied to turn the site into a caravan park, but the plans were rejected by East Riding Council in March.
Now the future of the site has been secured as the pair plan to turn the site into a place
for events such as festivals, dog fairs, re- enactments, outdoor cinemas, ghost tours and more.
Nick Taylor said: “I’ve been living here since October last year in a ground/security-type role. Initially the plan was that the site would be sold, but then that failed a couple of months ago.
“I reached out to the owner. I told him it would be such a shame to let it go and not just use it as what it was used for before. I also reached out to Nick Moore.
“When the site closed in 2020, he created a Facebook page called Save Fort Paull and the Blackburn Beverley, and from day one he has been extremely interested in reinstating it as a museum.
“As an individual it would be too much of an undertaking on my own, but with Nick’s interest in the site, and his knowledge and experience, it just seemed like a no-brainer to get involved.”
The two Nicks plan to reopen the site in time for the summer and hope to open one day a week. They are also scoping opinion about how the site could be used.
In the meantime, they are undertaking groundwork to tidy up the ground spaces. They are also seeking the relevant insurance to allow for volunteers to help revamp the site.
Earlier this year it was announced that a fundraising campaign had been launched to move the Blackburn Beverley – the last aircraft of its kind – to the Solway Aviation Museum.
Last weekend, the aircraft began to be dismantled and the first parts were transported to Cumbria.
For updates, visit the Fort Paull Battery Heritage Site Facebook page.
