Pictures of Newhaven

About Newhaven

Best known for its cross channel ferries and for its fort built in the 1860's as part of Britain's coastal defences, but which is now a fascinating museum offering visitors the opportunity to experience a massive fortress at first hand. Here, you can get a taste of what life was like living amongst sturdy thick walls, ramparts and tunnels, you can even see life-size displays, exhibitions and audio-visual presentations evocative of the era in the rooms which were actually occupied by the soldiers stationed there. This is a place everyone will enjoy, for those that remember all too well there is the stirring sound of an air-raid siren, and for the little ones there is a playground.

This is a town steeped in maritime history, it also has a great tradition of welcome having received numerous overseas visitors for centuries, the last King and Queen of France landed at Newhaven en-route to seek sanctuary from a young Queen Victoria in 1848. It is believed they spent the night in the town.

Newhaven harbour is protected by two piers, these help to guard shipping from prevailing winds. It is a large harbour accommodating vessels of up to 160 metres in length and its lighthouse dominates West Quay. The harbour is constantly busy, ferries leave constantly for Dieppe, and now with the Channel Tunnel linking us to Europe the town is fast catching up with Southampton and Dover, for the number of operators using the port grows annually.

The commercial activities of the town are focused on shipping, lately though the residential area of the town has developed causing an expansion in places for leisure and pleasure. There is a small marina which is usually crammed with bright sailing craft, a small but pleasant beach, and the town caters well for sailing activities and other sea-sports.

There are excellent examples of architecture to be seen in Newhaven, it has many fine Regency, Georgian and Victorian properties, many of these now provide comfortable hotel accommodation for tourists.

Visitors very much enjoy the nautical atmosphere pervading throughout the town, they also enjoy the modern shopping facilities, inns, restaurants and cafe's. Fresh fish is landed daily at the quayside and visitors can expect to find a wide variety of fresh fish and seafood featuring on most menu's.

No visit to Newhaven would be complete without a trip out to sea to enjoy the spectacle of superb coastal scenery and to view the sea-bird life swooping in and out of Cuckmere Haven. Other attractions in Newhaven include Paradise Park, Botanical Gardens, a Maritime Museum, The Seven Sisters Country Park, Planet Earth Museum and the Martell Tower at Seaford which is now a museum.