fort paull was a napoleonic era fort built in 1542 to protect the port there. the site dates back to 910 when it was a lookout for viking raiders. the current fort is designed as a pentagon and was built from 1861–1864. it was disarmed at the beginning of the first world war and replaced by two nearby forts. one was on sunk island; the other was at stallingborough. in 1960 the fort was finally closed down. but in 1964 a group of volunteers took over the fort and made it into a museum.