Paull Holme Strays Nature Reserve

View across Humber from Paull Holme Strays Credit Lizzie Dealey

Paull Holme Strays Nature Reserve

Paull Holme Strays lies alongside the mighty Humber Estuary offering spectacular views across the south Holderness landscape including local historical features. Managed in partnership with the Environment Agency who recently carried out major flood prevention works to help protect the City of Hull and surrounding areas from future flooding.

Location

Thorngumbald Road
Paull
East Riding of Yorkshire
HU12 8AX

OS Map Reference

TA 180 247
A static map of Paull Holme Strays Nature Reserve

Know before you go

Size
105 hectares
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Entry fee

Free
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Parking information

Car park available, signposted from the village and Thorngumbald road.

Access

Work by the Environment Agency to carry out major flood prevention works to help protect the City of Hull and surrounding areas from future flooding has now been completed.

Permissive footpaths. No/limited accessibility for wheelchair users.

Dogs

On a lead

When to visit

Opening times

Open at all times.

Best time to visit

December to March

About

To see Paull Holme Strays at its most spectacular a visit during the winter months is a must.

Thousands of wintering waders use the site to feed and roost and this large gathering entices predators including peregrine and merlin. Many an hour can be passed watching the shimmering flocks of knot and golden plover swirling around. Other waders at this time include black and bar-tailed godwits, redshank, dunlin, lapwing and curlew. The surrounding ditches, grassland and farmland provide winter hunting grounds for short-eared owl, hen and marsh harriers along with regular sightings of roe deer, brown hare and stoat.

Time your visit a couple of hours before a large incoming tide and the wader spectacle can be simply stunning.

The summer is a quieter time for the site but still produces some great wildlife encounters. Water voles are present in the freshwater habitats along with a variety of dragon and damselflies, including common darter, broad-bodied and four-spotted chasers, migrant hawker and small red-eyed damselfly. The song of skylark is ever present along with little egret feeding on the fringes and the striking yellow wagtail along the banks.

Seasonal highlights

  • Spring: Birds - Cuckoo; Yellow wagtail; Sedge warbler; Reed warbler
  • Summer: Invertebrates - Dragonflies; Birds - Marsh harrier; Spotted redshank; Little stint; Curlew
  • Autumn: Birds - Avocet; Green sandpiper; Common sandpiper; Whimbrel
  • Winter: Birds - Merlin; Dunlin; Redshank; Bar-tailed godwit; Golden plover

History

Paull Holme Strays was the first major managed realignment scheme on the River Humber and was breached by the Environment Agency in 2003. The site provides approximately 80 ha of inter-tidal habitat to compensate for the loss of saltmarsh and mudflats in the area, and is fronted by the extensive Paull Holme Sands.

Directions

Public transport
Bus service from Hull to Paull village.

By car
From the A1033 follow the signs for Fort Paull and then head south on Thorngumbald Road. The entrance to the car park is on the right just less than a mile after the entrance to Fort Paull.

Nearby