Fundraising bid to save 15th century tower from ruin

English Heritage has agreed to fund the bulk of a £30,000 research project to explore means of saving Paull Holme Tower, which dates back to the 1400s.

But the body will only pay for the “options appraisal” if £3,000 of the cost can be found elsewhere.

To that end, Simon Taylor, who owns the land around the tower, is hoping to enlist the support of experienced fundraisers.

He said: “This really needs to come from another source because it would show that there’s interest out there. On the face of it, it’s a small amount of money but it’s the start of something else.

“Support could come from a trust, business, local authority, lottery, donations from the public or any other source. Some limited funds are available to preservation trusts or ‘friends’ groups, however, until the options appraisal is completed and reports back, the benefits of forming such a group are unknown.

“Also, time is not on our side. It is possible that we could raise the money ourselves by staging fund raising events; any ideas are most welcome.

“So the question is, can you spare some time by investigating possible sources of funding? It is not glamorous work but the English Heritage offer is conditional on the extra funds being found in time.”

The tower, off Thorngumbald Road, Paull, was once the manor home of the Holme family, whose roots in the area can be traced to the 1100s. To find out more email [email protected].