Information about Newhaven
Newhaven is a small bustling industrial port in East Sussex, nestling in the South Downs at the mouth of the River Ouse. The town has a population of around 12,000 and is a busy cross channel route linking Sussex with the French Port of Dieppe. It is still the shortest route from London to Paris.
Newhaven is divided by the River Ouse with most of the industry, port and large retail outlets situated on the East Side. To the West is the town centre comprising well known "high street" stores as well as a number of smaller shops, restaurants and banks.
The town of Newhaven began rapid expansion after the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway Company extended the line from Lewes in 1847 and the following year the town had three cross channel boats from Newhaven to Dieppe. By the 1880's Newhaven had become the sixth biggest port in terms of revenue earned.
Just above the West Beach are the Lunette Batteries built in 1759 and looking out from the top of the cliff is the Fort, which was completed in 1871. Newhaven Fort did not see action until World War 2 when it became a regular target for the Luftwaffe. August 1942 saw Newhaven play a major part in the ill-fated Dieppe raid. Of the 4,963 Canadian troops that took part, only 2,210 returned to England and many of these were wounded. A memorial to the Canadian dead is situated in South Way.
The town centre has a number of old buildings including the White Hart (1726), the Ship Hotel (also 18th century) and the Bridge Hotel (1623). The Bridge Hotel was the first stop for the fleeing Louis Philippe and his wife, the last King and Queen of France. They landed close to the present day lifeboat station. Newhaven has a long tradition of lifeboat service stretching back to 1803. It was one of the first towns in the country to have a lifeboat station, some 21 years before the formation of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.
Overlooking Newhaven is the beautiful St Michael's, the town's parish church. The church has a Norman apse and is thought to have been built on the lines of the French church at Yainville.
In the graveyard is the memorial to the loss of HMS Brazen, which was wrecked
off the coast of Newhaven with the loss of 105 lives and just one survivor.
Today, Newhaven is undergoing major change as regeneration seeks to improve the infrastructure and economy of the town. New residential areas with quality housing are being built and the town has a new training and business centre. The West Quay development is well worth a visit as the town's fishing fleet is based here and the busy marina is nearby.
Newhaven has many interesting walks and a magnificent new nature reserve has been created to the east of the town. This is close to the ruins of Tidemills where in Victorian times miller William Catt harnessed the free power of the tide to grind corn.
Moving further eastwards and stretching between Seaford and Eastbourne is a superb stretch of coastline comprising of the Seven Sisters Country Park and Beachy Head. The Country Park is a popular location for a number of outdoor activities including walking, cycling, canoeing and horse riding. It's name comes from the Seven Sisters, a range of chalk cliffs of which Beachy Head is the highest and most famous.
The main reason for Beachy Head's popularity is the wonderful panoramic view which can be seen from the cliff top. If you look east you see the beaches and town of Eastbourne, the Pier and the Harbour, and then on to Pevensey Bay and Hastings and, on an exceptionally clear day, Dungeness in Kent, nearly 40 miles away. Looking west, you can see even further, up to 70 miles, past Seaford Head to Brighton and then on to Selsey Bill near Chichester in West Sussex. On a very clear day the outline of the Isle of Wight can be seen.
To the west of the Newhaven is the village of Peacehaven through which runs the Greenwich Meridian line. Further on is the historic and picturesque village of Rottingdean and then the sprawling city of Brighton. This popular tourist destination needs no introduction and is home to theatres, nightclubs, hotels, restaurants and a range of leisure amenities.
Newhaven is surrounded by a number of pretty villages and nearby Rodmell was home to Virginia Woolf, famous novelist and a member of the Bloomsbury Group.
Further North is the county town of Lewes, dominated by a superb Norman castle. A highlight of the year is the annual Lewes Bonfire celebrations. The Marian persecutions of 1555-7 resulted in seventeen Protestant martyrs being burned to death in the town and in 1605 the plot by a number of Catholics to blow up the Protestant King was foiled. Bonfire night in Lewes is in memory to these events, and great processions of people march through the streets, wearing incredible costumes, carrying flaming torches and letting off fireworks is a spectacle that is hard to describe but well worth seeing.
Newhaven History : Visit
Newhaven Fort, the largest fortification of its kind ever built on the English coast, today home to a museum. Built in1860, Newhaven Fort played an important role in WW1 and above all, WW2. Not only did it have a vital strategic function during the conflict, in particular during the Normandy Landings, the Canadian units who took part in the Dieppe Raid left from here in 1942. In memory of this event, it flies the Canadian flag. Also worth visiting is the
Newhaven Local and Maritime Museum with a fantastic collection of historical information about the local area and lots of maritime artefacts.
Hotels in Newhaven
Newhaven Port
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Newhaven is the closest port to London, and is easily accessible by car or train from anywhere in England.
The Newhaven Ferry port, during World War II, was a strategic port used for sending munitions and troops to France.
The Ferry port:
From Newhaven, LD Lines offers frequent passenger and freight ferry crossings to Dieppe and Le Havre in France.
LD Lines has just modernised the Newhaven Ferry terminal area, to provide passengers travelling through the Newhaven Ferry Port with more facilities such as, a clean and modern Cafeteria, Toilets and Drivers' facilities.
Car parking facilities:
Short and Long term parking facilities are available at the port.
For any further information regarding the car parking facilities, please call +44 (0) 1273 612864.
Driving to and from Newhaven
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