Newhaven, East Sussex
Encyclopedia
Newhaven is a town in the Lewes
District of East Sussex
in England
. It lies at the mouth of the River Ouse
, on the English Channel
coast, and is a ferry port for services to France
.
, in the valley the river has cut through the South Downs
. Over the centuries the river has migrated between Newhaven and Seaford
in response to the growth and decay of a shingle spit (shoal
) at its mouth.
There was a Bronze Age
fort on what is now Castle Hill.
In about 480 AD, the Saxon
people established a village near where Newhaven now stands, which they named "Meeching" (variously known as "Myching" or "Mitching").
Throughout the Middle Ages, the main outlet and port of the Ouse was at Seaford (one of the Cinque Ports
).
The growth of the shingle spit hindered the outflow of the river, which consequently flooded the Levels upstream and hindered access to the port. Therefore a channel through the shingle spit was cut in the mid-16th century below Castle Hill, creating access to a sheltered harbour, better than that at Seaford. This was the origin of modern Newhaven.
However, shingle continued to accumulate and so the mouth of the Ouse began to migrate eastwards again. Under the Ouse Navigation Act (1790), a western breakwater
was constructed to arrest longshore drift
and so cut off the supply of shingle to the spit. A new outlet (The Cut) was built on the river's present course, below Castle Hill. At that time the settlement began to be known as the "new haven". The present breakwater was built in 1890.
ports of Dieppe (Transmanche Ferries
); and to Le Havre
, (LD Lines
) Although there are some derelict signs of the one-time train ferry operations, the harbour still sees a great deal of freight and passengers movement, with both the ferries running from this port being under three years old.
in 1847. The London Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) constructed their own wharf and facilities on the east side of the river, and opened the Newhaven harbour railway station
. The railway also funded the dredging of the channel and other improvements to the harbour between 1850 and 1878, to enable it to be used by cross channel ferries, and in 1863 the LB&SCR and the Chemin de Fer de l‘Ouest introduced the Newhaven-Dieppe passenger service. The harbour was officially recognised as 'The Port of Newhaven' in 1882. Imports then included French farm products and manufactures, timber, granite and slates.
Newhaven harbour was designated as the principal port for the movement of men and materiel
to the European continent during World War I
and was taken over by the military authorities and the ferries requisitioned for the duration of the war. Between 22 September 1916 and 2 December 1918, the port and town of Newhaven were designated a 'Special Military Area' under the 'Defence of the Realm Regulations', and the Harbour station was closed to the public. The port and harbour facilities, rail sidings and warehousing were greatly enlarged at this time and electric lighting installed to allow for 24-hour operation.
During World War II
, large numbers of Canadian
troops were stationed at Newhaven, and the ill-fated Dieppe Raid
in 1942 was largely launched from the harbour.
. The town established the rescue lifeboat
in response to the wreck of HMS Brazen
in January 1800 when only one man of her crew of some 105 men could be saved. The town used a combination of funds raised locally and contributed by Lloyd's of London
to purchase a lifeboat built to Henry Greathead
's "Original" design. Newhaven also has one of the Watch stations of the National Coastwatch Institution
.
was the village of Tide Mills
, built in 1761, and now derelict. Here are the remains of workers' cottages, the tide mill
itself, and a large saline lagoon which was the storage pond for high water to power the mills on the outgoing tide.
The Newhaven Marconi Radio Station was established in 1904, and started running in 1905. The station was owned and operated by the Marconi Radio Company and achieved regular ship to shore radio communications in approximately 1912.
The Heritage Marine Hospital was built in 1924 to cater for disabled boys who had undergone surgery. It became a casualty of wartime defence work during World War II.
Today, the Denton Island Business Park lies to the north of the town on the east bank of the river. The business park has attracted a number of businesses to the area with the basepoint Newhaven Enterprise Centre being the focal point. The centre has attracted a lot of new businesses to the area, including JP Concrete Products (a precast concrete company), We Buy Any Car .Com
, Phil Stone Insolvency Consultants, Body Shapers (Women only non-gym experience) and many more.
A brand new waste Incinerator
is currently being built just across from Denton Island.
, one of the Palmerston Forts
, was built on Castle Hill on the recommendation of the 1859 Royal Commission
to defend the growing harbour It was the largest defence work ever built in Sussex
and is now open as a museum.
The adjacent village of Tide Mills was the site of an experimental seaplane
base at the head of the beach. The first formation of No. 242 Squadron RAF
was on 15 August 1918 from numbers 408, 409 and 514 Flights at the seaplane station at Newhaven, Sussex. Operating from there and the nearby airfield at Telscombe Cliffs
, it was equipped with Short Type 184
seaplanes and carried out anti-submarine patrols over the English Channel
until the end of the First World War. Surveys carried out in 2006 have exposed part of the slipway, concrete aprons to both hangars with door tracks and several other slabs presumed to be workshops. Sussex Archaeological Society
started a dig in April 2006 to catalogue the entire East Beach site.
and Mount Pleasant on the slopes of the Downs to the east. Industrial areas lay on the east side of the river as does all three of the railway stations which serve Newhaven; Newhaven Town, Newhaven Harbour and the now redundant Newhaven Marine. Recent housing development has taken place at the West Quay, Harbour Heights and August Fields.
The parish includes part of the Brighton to Newhaven Cliffs
Site of Special Scientific Interest
. The cliffs are mainly of geological interest, containing many Santonian
and Campanian
fossils. The SSSI listing includes flora and fauna biological interest too.
The open land surrounding Newhaven to the west, north and east is part of the South Downs National Park
, although the town itself is excluded from the boundaries.
originating in Maidstone
; and its junction with the A259 coast road
between Brighton
and Eastbourne
. It is also located on the Seaford Branch Line
from Lewes
; there are two operating stations: Newhaven Town
and Newhaven Harbour
. A third, for all intents and purposes unused since its train ferry services ceased using it, was Newhaven Marine railway station
.
Walkers on the long-distance footpath, the Vanguard Way
end their journey here from East Croydon in south London.
The Newhaven Local & Maritime Museum is operated by the Newhaven Historical Society and is a registered charity. The Planet Earth Museum and Sussex History Trail is dedicated to the history of the earth. They are both located at Paradise Park which is a garden centre owned by the Tate family.
The parish church is dedicated to St Michael and is shared by the Church of England
and Methodist communities. The Roman Catholic church is dedicated to the Sacred Heart
.
As might be expected with its proximity to the sea, Newhaven is home to a thriving marina
: the Newhaven and Seaford Sailing Club is based there; Scuba diving
, water ski-ing and surfboarding are also practised. Newhaven Football Club
plays in the Sussex County League; there is a thriving archery
club. The town also boasts a large and modern indoor bowls centre, and there is a thriving outdoor bowling green located close to the marina.
The town is featured in Crime Is My Business by W. Howard Baker (Sexton Blake Library No 408, Amalgamated Press, 1958) and possibly based on an idea or material by Jack Trevor Story
. Although mentioned (along with Brighton, Beachy Head, and Eastbourne), the references are vague and one would not recognise the town from the book. Other references in the text (a typical Sexton Blake
adventure) suggest a roadside café somewhere in the region of the recently demolished Peacehaven Motel, which was formerly situated at the eastern end of Peacehaven.
vanished in 1974, his car was found in Newhaven, in Norman Road, with two types of blood in it.
Other residents have included Charles Wells
the "man who broke the bank at Monte Carlo" casino, who bought a house in Fort Road with some of the proceeds; and Charles Webb, the author of The Graduate
.
Lewes (district)
Lewes is a local government district in East Sussex in southern England covering an area of , with of coastline. It is named after its administrative centre, Lewes. Other towns in the district include Newhaven, Peacehaven, and Seaford. Plumpton racecourse is within the district...
District of East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It lies at the mouth of the River Ouse
River Ouse, Sussex
The River Ouse is a river in the counties of West and East Sussex in England.-Course:The river rises near Lower Beeding and runs eastwards into East Sussex, meandering narrowly and turning slowly southward...
, on the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
coast, and is a ferry port for services to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Origins
Newhaven lies at the mouth of the River OuseRiver Ouse, Sussex
The River Ouse is a river in the counties of West and East Sussex in England.-Course:The river rises near Lower Beeding and runs eastwards into East Sussex, meandering narrowly and turning slowly southward...
, in the valley the river has cut through the South Downs
South Downs
The South Downs is a range of chalk hills that extends for about across the south-eastern coastal counties of England from the Itchen Valley of Hampshire in the west to Beachy Head, near Eastbourne, East Sussex, in the east. It is bounded on its northern side by a steep escarpment, from whose...
. Over the centuries the river has migrated between Newhaven and Seaford
Seaford, East Sussex
Seaford is a coastal town in the county of East Sussex, on the south coast of England. Lying east of Newhaven and Brighton and west of Eastbourne, it is the largest town in Lewes district, with a population of about 23,000....
in response to the growth and decay of a shingle spit (shoal
Shoal
Shoal, shoals or shoaling may mean:* Shoal, a sandbank or reef creating shallow water, especially where it forms a hazard to shipping* Shoal draught , of a boat with shallow draught which can pass over some shoals: see Draft...
) at its mouth.
There was a Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
fort on what is now Castle Hill.
In about 480 AD, the Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
people established a village near where Newhaven now stands, which they named "Meeching" (variously known as "Myching" or "Mitching").
Throughout the Middle Ages, the main outlet and port of the Ouse was at Seaford (one of the Cinque Ports
Cinque Ports
The Confederation of Cinque Ports is a historic series of coastal towns in Kent and Sussex. It was originally formed for military and trade purposes, but is now entirely ceremonial. It lies at the eastern end of the English Channel, where the crossing to the continent is narrowest...
).
The growth of the shingle spit hindered the outflow of the river, which consequently flooded the Levels upstream and hindered access to the port. Therefore a channel through the shingle spit was cut in the mid-16th century below Castle Hill, creating access to a sheltered harbour, better than that at Seaford. This was the origin of modern Newhaven.
However, shingle continued to accumulate and so the mouth of the Ouse began to migrate eastwards again. Under the Ouse Navigation Act (1790), a western breakwater
Breakwater (structure)
Breakwaters are structures constructed on coasts as part of coastal defence or to protect an anchorage from the effects of weather and longshore drift.-Purposes of breakwaters:...
was constructed to arrest longshore drift
Longshore drift
Longshore drift consists of the transportation of sediments along a coast at an angle to the shoreline, which is dependent on prevailing wind direction, swash and backwash. This process occurs in the littoral zone, and in or within close proximity to the surf zone...
and so cut off the supply of shingle to the spit. A new outlet (The Cut) was built on the river's present course, below Castle Hill. At that time the settlement began to be known as the "new haven". The present breakwater was built in 1890.
Port
From the port of Newhaven international ferries run to the FrenchFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
ports of Dieppe (Transmanche Ferries
Transmanche Ferries
Transmanche Ferries is a ferry company that operates the Newhaven - Dieppe route across the English Channel.-History:Transmanche Ferries was formed after the previous operator of this route, P&O Stena Line, decided to concentrate on that company's primary route of Dover - Calais...
); and to Le Havre
Le Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
, (LD Lines
LD Lines
LD Lines is a French shipping company. It is predominantly a freight operator, with both deep-sea and ferry operations, but also operates some passenger services...
) Although there are some derelict signs of the one-time train ferry operations, the harbour still sees a great deal of freight and passengers movement, with both the ferries running from this port being under three years old.
History
The village was of little maritime importance until the opening of the railway line to LewesLewes
Lewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
in 1847. The London Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) constructed their own wharf and facilities on the east side of the river, and opened the Newhaven harbour railway station
Newhaven Harbour railway station
Newhaven Harbour Railway Station is one of two active stations serving Newhaven in East Sussex, England, the other being Newhaven Town. A third, Newhaven Marine, is legally open, but does not currently receive a passenger service due to safety concerns....
. The railway also funded the dredging of the channel and other improvements to the harbour between 1850 and 1878, to enable it to be used by cross channel ferries, and in 1863 the LB&SCR and the Chemin de Fer de l‘Ouest introduced the Newhaven-Dieppe passenger service. The harbour was officially recognised as 'The Port of Newhaven' in 1882. Imports then included French farm products and manufactures, timber, granite and slates.
Newhaven harbour was designated as the principal port for the movement of men and materiel
Materiel
Materiel is a term used in English to refer to the equipment and supplies in military and commercial supply chain management....
to the European continent during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and was taken over by the military authorities and the ferries requisitioned for the duration of the war. Between 22 September 1916 and 2 December 1918, the port and town of Newhaven were designated a 'Special Military Area' under the 'Defence of the Realm Regulations', and the Harbour station was closed to the public. The port and harbour facilities, rail sidings and warehousing were greatly enlarged at this time and electric lighting installed to allow for 24-hour operation.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, large numbers of Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
troops were stationed at Newhaven, and the ill-fated Dieppe Raid
Dieppe Raid
The Dieppe Raid, also known as the Battle of Dieppe, Operation Rutter or later on Operation Jubilee, during the Second World War, was an Allied attack on the German-occupied port of Dieppe on the northern coast of France on 19 August 1942. The assault began at 5:00 AM and by 10:50 AM the Allied...
in 1942 was largely launched from the harbour.
Lifeboat
The Newhaven Lifeboat, the first of which was commissioned in 1803, is among the oldest in Britain, and was established some 20 years before the Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionRoyal National Lifeboat Institution
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
. The town established the rescue lifeboat
Lifeboat (rescue)
A rescue lifeboat is a boat rescue craft which is used to attend a vessel in distress, or its survivors, to rescue crewmen and passengers. It can be hand pulled, sail powered or powered by an engine...
in response to the wreck of HMS Brazen
HMS Brazen (1798)
HMS Brazen was the French privateer Invincible General Bonaparte , which the British captured in 1798...
in January 1800 when only one man of her crew of some 105 men could be saved. The town used a combination of funds raised locally and contributed by Lloyd's of London
Lloyd's of London
Lloyd's, also known as Lloyd's of London, is a British insurance and reinsurance market. It serves as a partially mutualised marketplace where multiple financial backers, underwriters, or members, whether individuals or corporations, come together to pool and spread risk...
to purchase a lifeboat built to Henry Greathead
Henry Greathead
Henry Francis Greathead was a pioneering rescue lifeboat builder from South Shields. Although Lionel Lukin had patented a lifeboat in 1785, Greathead successfully petitioned parliament in 1802 with the claim that he had invented a lifeboat in 1790, and he was awarded £1,200 for his trouble...
's "Original" design. Newhaven also has one of the Watch stations of the National Coastwatch Institution
National Coastwatch Institution
The National Coastwatch Institution is a voluntary organisation and registered charity providing a visual watch along the UK's coasts, and is not to be confused with HM Coastguard.-History:...
.
Industry
To the east, in the neighbouring parish of SeafordSeaford, East Sussex
Seaford is a coastal town in the county of East Sussex, on the south coast of England. Lying east of Newhaven and Brighton and west of Eastbourne, it is the largest town in Lewes district, with a population of about 23,000....
was the village of Tide Mills
Tide Mills, East Sussex
Tide Mills is a derelict village in East Sussex, England. It lies about two kilometres south east of Newhaven and four kilometres north west of Seaford and is near both Bishopstone and East Blatchington.-The old village:...
, built in 1761, and now derelict. Here are the remains of workers' cottages, the tide mill
Tide mill
A tide mill is a water mill driven by tidal rise and fall. A dam with a sluice is created across a suitable tidal inlet, or a section of river estuary is made into a reservoir. As the tide comes in, it enters the mill pond through a one way gate, and this gate closes automatically when the tide...
itself, and a large saline lagoon which was the storage pond for high water to power the mills on the outgoing tide.
The Newhaven Marconi Radio Station was established in 1904, and started running in 1905. The station was owned and operated by the Marconi Radio Company and achieved regular ship to shore radio communications in approximately 1912.
The Heritage Marine Hospital was built in 1924 to cater for disabled boys who had undergone surgery. It became a casualty of wartime defence work during World War II.
Today, the Denton Island Business Park lies to the north of the town on the east bank of the river. The business park has attracted a number of businesses to the area with the basepoint Newhaven Enterprise Centre being the focal point. The centre has attracted a lot of new businesses to the area, including JP Concrete Products (a precast concrete company), We Buy Any Car .Com
We Buy Any Car
We Buy Any Car Limited is a used car purchaser headquartered in Rochdale, United Kingdom. It has branches in both England and Scotland.The company was founded in 2006 by Noel and Darren McKee...
, Phil Stone Insolvency Consultants, Body Shapers (Women only non-gym experience) and many more.
A brand new waste Incinerator
Newhaven Incinerator
The Newhaven Incinerator is an incinerator currently under construction for the treatment of up to 210,000 tonnes per annum of East Sussex's municipal solid waste...
is currently being built just across from Denton Island.
Military
Newhaven FortNewhaven Fort
Newhaven Fort was built on the recommendation of the 1859 Royal Commission to defend the growing harbour at Newhaven, on the south coast of England...
, one of the Palmerston Forts
Palmerston Forts
The Palmerston Forts are a group of forts and associated structures, around the coast of Britain.The forts were built during the Victorian period on the recommendations of the 1860 Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom, following concerns about the strength of the French Navy, and...
, was built on Castle Hill on the recommendation of the 1859 Royal Commission
Royal Commission
In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...
to defend the growing harbour It was the largest defence work ever built in Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
and is now open as a museum.
The adjacent village of Tide Mills was the site of an experimental seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
base at the head of the beach. The first formation of No. 242 Squadron RAF
No. 242 Squadron RAF
No. 242 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron. It flew in many roles during its active service and it is also known for being the first squadron Douglas Bader commanded.-In World War I:No...
was on 15 August 1918 from numbers 408, 409 and 514 Flights at the seaplane station at Newhaven, Sussex. Operating from there and the nearby airfield at Telscombe Cliffs
Telscombe
Telscombe is a civil parish with the status of a town in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England. It consists of three distinct settlements, separated from each other by an open area of downland called Telscombe Tye....
, it was equipped with Short Type 184
Short Type 184
|-Manufacturers:Source: Barnes and James#Brush Electrical Engineering Co. Ltd. #Frederick Sage & Co. Ltd. #J. Samuel White #Mann, Egerton & Co. Ltd. #Phoenix Dynamo Manufacturing Company #Robey & Co. Ltd. #S E Saunders Limited...
seaplanes and carried out anti-submarine patrols over the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
until the end of the First World War. Surveys carried out in 2006 have exposed part of the slipway, concrete aprons to both hangars with door tracks and several other slabs presumed to be workshops. Sussex Archaeological Society
Sussex Archaeological Society
The Sussex Archaeological Society, founded in 1846, is the largest county-based archaeological society in the UK. Its headquarters are in Lewes, Sussex...
started a dig in April 2006 to catalogue the entire East Beach site.
Layout
The main part of the town is located on the west side of the river, there is also a residential area at DentonDenton, East Sussex
Denton is a small village inside the town of Newhaven, East Sussex, England. Named after Denton Island, in the middle of Newhaven Harbour, it adjoins the suburbs of South Heighton and Mount Pleasant. It backs onto the South Downs and local church records suggest it is featured in the Domesday book...
and Mount Pleasant on the slopes of the Downs to the east. Industrial areas lay on the east side of the river as does all three of the railway stations which serve Newhaven; Newhaven Town, Newhaven Harbour and the now redundant Newhaven Marine. Recent housing development has taken place at the West Quay, Harbour Heights and August Fields.
Governance
Newhaven Town Council was formed in 1974. There are 18 councillors representing three wards: Denton ward (five councillors); Meeching (seven); and Valley (six).Demography
Newhaven population (12,026 persons) are 59% of working age; 22% are 15 and under; and 19% retirement age. There are over 360 businesses in the town. Unemployment (higher than the South-east average) was at 2.4%. Two of the town wards (Meeching and Valley) have some of the most deprived areas in the county.Landmarks
The main landmark in the town is the Newhaven Fort. The new waste incinerator is a major landmark, the chimney being visible from the sea as well as from Firle Beacon and parts of Seaford.The parish includes part of the Brighton to Newhaven Cliffs
Brighton to Newhaven Cliffs
Brighton to Newhaven Cliffs is a biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in East Sussex, England. The site was notified in 1986 under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981...
Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
. The cliffs are mainly of geological interest, containing many Santonian
Santonian
The Santonian is an age in the geologic timescale or a chronostratigraphic stage. It is a subdivision of the Late Cretaceous epoch or Upper Cretaceous series. It spans the time between 85.8 ± 0.7 mya and 83.5 ± 0.7 mya...
and Campanian
Campanian
The Campanian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, the fifth of six ages of the Late Cretaceous epoch . The Campanian spans the time from 83.5 ± 0.7 Ma to 70.6 ± 0.6 Ma ...
fossils. The SSSI listing includes flora and fauna biological interest too.
The open land surrounding Newhaven to the west, north and east is part of the South Downs National Park
South Downs National Park
The South Downs National Park is England's newest National Park, having become fully operational on 1 April 2011. The park, covering an area of in southern England, stretches for from Winchester in the west to Eastbourne in the east through the counties of Hampshire, West Sussex and East Sussex...
, although the town itself is excluded from the boundaries.
Transport
Newhaven lies at the southern end of the cross-country A26 trunk roadA26 road
For the road in Northern Ireland see A26 road The A26 road is one of the three cross-country two-digit numbered roads in the southeast of England, the others being the A25 road and A27 road. It carries traffic from Maidstone in Kent in a generally south-westerly direction to Tunbridge Wells and...
originating in Maidstone
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
; and its junction with the A259 coast road
A259 road
The A259 is a busy road on the south coast of England passing through Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and part of Kent. Part of the road was named "the most dangerous road in South East England" in 2008.-Description:...
between Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
and Eastbourne
Eastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
. It is also located on the Seaford Branch Line
Seaford Branch Line
The Seaford Branch Line is a rural railway line constructed in 1864 primarily to serve the port of Newhaven and the town of Seaford. At present it is operated by Southern in England. The line starts at Lewes and runs to Southerham Junction where it diverges from the main East Coastway Line to...
from Lewes
Lewes
Lewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
; there are two operating stations: Newhaven Town
Newhaven Town railway station
Newhaven Town Railway Station is one of two active railway stations serving Newhaven in East Sussex, England, the other being Newhaven Harbour....
and Newhaven Harbour
Newhaven Harbour railway station
Newhaven Harbour Railway Station is one of two active stations serving Newhaven in East Sussex, England, the other being Newhaven Town. A third, Newhaven Marine, is legally open, but does not currently receive a passenger service due to safety concerns....
. A third, for all intents and purposes unused since its train ferry services ceased using it, was Newhaven Marine railway station
Newhaven Marine railway station
Newhaven Marine Railway Station is a station in Newhaven, East Sussex, England adjacent to Newhaven Harbour railway station. It is technically open, but has been closed to passenger train services since August 2006 due to safety concerns...
.
Walkers on the long-distance footpath, the Vanguard Way
Vanguard Way
The Vanguard Way is a long distance walk of around 66 miles from East Croydon in outer London to Newhaven on the south coast of England. It passes through the counties of Surrey, Kent and East Sussex, between Croydon and Newhaven, East Sussex...
end their journey here from East Croydon in south London.
Education, culture and religion
There is one secondary school in the town: Tideway Community School, a specialist technology college, and four primary schools: Denton Community Primary, Meeching Valley, Grays School and Southdown Junior School.The Newhaven Local & Maritime Museum is operated by the Newhaven Historical Society and is a registered charity. The Planet Earth Museum and Sussex History Trail is dedicated to the history of the earth. They are both located at Paradise Park which is a garden centre owned by the Tate family.
The parish church is dedicated to St Michael and is shared by the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
and Methodist communities. The Roman Catholic church is dedicated to the Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart
The Sacred Heart is one of the most famous religious devotions to Jesus' physical heart as the representation of His divine love for Humanity....
.
As might be expected with its proximity to the sea, Newhaven is home to a thriving marina
Marina
A marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....
: the Newhaven and Seaford Sailing Club is based there; Scuba diving
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
, water ski-ing and surfboarding are also practised. Newhaven Football Club
Newhaven F.C.
Newhaven F.C. is a football club based in Newhaven, East Sussex, England. They were formed in 1889 and were founding members of the Sussex County Football League in 1920...
plays in the Sussex County League; there is a thriving archery
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
club. The town also boasts a large and modern indoor bowls centre, and there is a thriving outdoor bowling green located close to the marina.
The town is featured in Crime Is My Business by W. Howard Baker (Sexton Blake Library No 408, Amalgamated Press, 1958) and possibly based on an idea or material by Jack Trevor Story
Jack Trevor Story
Jack Trevor Story was a British novelist, publishing prolifically from the 1940s to the 1970s. His best-known work is the story for Alfred Hitchcock's comedy The Trouble With Harry, the Albert Argyle trilogy , and his Horace Spurgeon novels Jack Trevor Story (30 March 1917 - 5 December 1991) was a...
. Although mentioned (along with Brighton, Beachy Head, and Eastbourne), the references are vague and one would not recognise the town from the book. Other references in the text (a typical Sexton Blake
Sexton Blake
Sexton Blake is a fictional detective who appeared in many British comic strips and novels throughout the 20th century. He was described by Professor Jeffrey Richards on the BBC in The Radio Detectives in 2003 as "the poor man's Sherlock Holmes"...
adventure) suggest a roadside café somewhere in the region of the recently demolished Peacehaven Motel, which was formerly situated at the eastern end of Peacehaven.
Notable people
When Lord LucanRichard Bingham, 7th Earl of Lucan
Richard John Bingham, 7th Earl of Lucan , popularly known as Lord Lucan, as Lord Bingham before 1964, and sometimes colloquially called "Lucky" Lucan, was a British peer, who disappeared in the early hours of 8 November 1974, following the murder of Sandra Rivett, his children's nanny, the previous...
vanished in 1974, his car was found in Newhaven, in Norman Road, with two types of blood in it.
Other residents have included Charles Wells
Charles Wells (gambler)
Charles Deville Wells , gambler and confidence trickster, is one of the men who broke the bank at Monte Carlo, made famous by the song...
the "man who broke the bank at Monte Carlo" casino, who bought a house in Fort Road with some of the proceeds; and Charles Webb, the author of The Graduate
The Graduate (novel)
The Graduate is a 1963 novel by Charles Webb, who wrote it shortly after graduating from Williams College. It tells the story of Benjamin Braddock, who, while pondering his future after his graduation, has an affair with the older Mrs...
.