Newhaven facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Newhaven |
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 From the air |
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The town council's logo |
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 Newhaven
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| Area | 7.2 km2 (2.8 sq mi) |
| Population | 12,854 (2021) |
| • Density | 4,591/sq mi (1,773/km2) |
| OS grid reference | TQ449016 |
| • London | 49 miles (79 km) N |
| District |
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| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | NEWHAVEN |
| Postcode district | BN9 |
| Dialling code | 01273 |
| Police | Sussex |
| Fire | East Sussex |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament |
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| Website | Newhaven Town Council |
Newhaven is a busy port town in East Sussex, England. It sits right where the River Ouse meets the sea.
The town grew because the old port of Seaford started to dry up. So, people needed a new place for ships. They built a safe harbor in the 1500s. Later, in the 1700s, a breakwater was added. This helped ships reach the sea easily.
Newhaven became even more important when the railway arrived in 1847. Regular ferry services to Dieppe, France, also started. Today, Newhaven still has ferry services and is a key place for moving goods. In 2021, about 12,854 people lived here.
Contents
How Newhaven Began
Newhaven is located at the mouth of the River Ouse. The river flows through a valley it carved in the South Downs. Over many years, the river's path has changed. It moved between Newhaven and Seaford. This happened because of a changing shingle spit (a sandy or stony bank) at its mouth.
Long ago, during the Bronze Age, there was a fort on what is now Castle Hill. Around 480 AD, Saxon people settled here. They called their village "Meeching."
For a long time, the main port for the Ouse river was at Seaford. But the shingle spit grew, blocking the river. This caused floods upstream and made it hard for ships to reach Seaford.
So, in the mid-1500s, people dug a new channel through the shingle. This was below Castle Hill. It created a better, sheltered harbor than Seaford had. This was the start of modern Newhaven.
However, shingle kept building up. The river's mouth began to move east again. To stop this, a western breakwater was built in 1790. This stopped the shingle from drifting. A new river outlet, called "The Cut," was made. It followed the river's current path below Castle Hill. Around this time, the settlement became known as the "new haven." The current breakwater was built in 1890.
Newhaven Port and Ferries
Newhaven's port is still very active. It handles a lot of goods and passengers. International ferries travel to Dieppe in France. These ferries are run by DFDS Seaways. There are usually two trips each day.
If you want to catch a ferry by train, you should go to Newhaven Town station. From there, you can take a free bus to the ferry. This has made the Newhaven Harbour station less busy.
The port is also planned to be the main land base for the Rampion Wind Farm. This is a large wind farm built out at sea.
Port History and Development
Newhaven was not very important for ships until the railway opened in 1847. In 1848, the French King Louis Philippe I secretly landed here after giving up his throne.
The London, Brighton & South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) built its own docks. They also opened the Newhaven harbour railway station. The railway company helped make the harbor better between 1850 and 1878. This allowed cross-channel ferries to use it. In 1863, the LB&SCR started the Newhaven-Dieppe passenger service. The harbor officially became 'The Port of Newhaven' in 1882. Ships brought in French farm products, wood, and stone.
During the First World War, Newhaven harbor was very important. It was the main port for moving soldiers and supplies to Europe. The military took over the port, and ferries were used for the war. From 1916 to 1918, Newhaven was a 'Special Military Area.' The harbor station was closed to the public. The port facilities were made much bigger. Electric lights were added so it could operate 24 hours a day.
In the Second World War, many Canadian troops were based in Newhaven. The Dieppe Raid in 1942, a major military operation, was largely launched from this harbor.
Lifeboat Service
The Newhaven Lifeboat is one of Britain's oldest. It started in 1803. This was about 20 years before the Royal National Lifeboat Institution was formed. The town created the rescue lifeboat after the ship HMS Brazen sank in 1800. Only one person out of 105 crew members survived. The town raised money locally and got help from Lloyd's of London. They bought a lifeboat designed by Henry Greathead. Newhaven also has a National Coastwatch Institution station.
Local Industries
To the east of Newhaven was the village of Tide Mills. It was built in 1761 and is now abandoned. You can still see the remains of workers' homes and the tide mill itself. There's also a large saltwater lagoon. This lagoon stored high water to power the mills as the tide went out.
The Newhaven Marconi Radio Station opened in 1905. It was owned by the Marconi Radio Company. By 1912, it was regularly communicating with ships at sea.
To the east of Newhaven is a large factory for King & McGaw. This company started by printing art for businesses. Now, it's the UK's biggest online art provider.
The Denton Island Business Park is north of the town, on the west side of the river. It has brought many businesses to the area. The Basepoint Newhaven Enterprise Centre is a key part of this.
A new waste incinerator was finished in late 2011. It is now fully working, even though many local people were against it.
Military History
Newhaven Fort is one of the Palmerston Forts. It was built on Castle Hill to protect the growing harbor. This was the biggest defense structure ever built in Sussex. Today, it is open as a museum.
The nearby village of Tide Mills had an experimental seaplane base. The first part of No. 242 Squadron RAF was formed here in 1918. They used Short Type 184 seaplanes. These planes flew anti-submarine patrols over the English Channel until the end of the First World War. Surveys in 2006 found parts of the slipway and concrete areas from the hangars.
Town Layout
The main part of Newhaven is on the west side of the river. There are also homes in Denton and Mount Pleasant. These areas are on the slopes of the Downs to the east. Industrial areas are on the east side of the river. All three railway stations are also on the east side: Newhaven Town, Newhaven Harbour, and the now unused Newhaven Marine. New homes have recently been built in areas like West Quay and Harbour Heights.
Local Government
Newhaven Town Council started in 1974. It has 18 councillors who represent four different areas of the town.
Newhaven is also part of Lewes District. It has two wards (areas) that elect councillors to the Lewes District Council. As of 2023, all five district councillors for Newhaven are from the Liberal Democrat party.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Newhaven is part of the Lewes parliamentary area. The current MP is James MacCleary, a Liberal Democrat.
Newhaven's Population
Newhaven has a population of 12,232 people. About 59% of them are of working age. Around 22% are 15 years old or younger, and 19% are of retirement age. There are more than 360 businesses in the town.
Important Landmarks
The main landmark in Newhaven is the Newhaven Fort. The new waste incinerator is also a big landmark. Its tall chimney can be seen from the sea and from other nearby places like Firle Beacon.
Part of the Brighton to Newhaven Cliffs is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). These cliffs are important for their geology. They contain many fossils from the Santonian and Campanian periods. The SSSI also protects the plants and animals found there.
The open land around Newhaven is part of the South Downs National Park. However, the town itself is not inside the park's boundaries.
Getting Around Newhaven
Newhaven is at the end of the A26 trunk road, which starts in Maidstone. It also connects with the A259 coast road. This road runs between Brighton and Eastbourne.
The town is on the Seaford Branch Line railway from Lewes. There are two active railway stations: Newhaven Town and Newhaven Harbour. A third station, Newhaven Marine railway station, is no longer used.
Walkers on the Vanguard Way, a long-distance footpath, finish their journey here. This path starts in East Croydon in south London.
Education, Culture, and Religion
Newhaven has one secondary school, Seahaven Academy. There are also four primary schools: Denton Community Primary, Breakwater Academy, Harbour Primary School, and High Cliff Academy. High Cliff Academy opened in 2015 in a new building.
The Newhaven Local & Maritime Museum is run by the Newhaven Historical Society. It is a registered charity. The Planet Earth Museum and Sussex History Trail are also in Newhaven. They are dedicated to the history of the Earth. Both are located at Paradise Park, a garden centre.
The main church in Newhaven is St Michael's. It is used by both the Church of England and Methodist communities. The Roman Catholic church is called the Church of the Sacred Heart.
Newhaven has a lively art community. The art club started in the 1960s. New galleries in town show local artwork.
Town Twinning
Newhaven is twinned with La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin in France. This means the towns have a special friendship.
Sports and Activities
Newhaven has a marina. The Newhaven and Seaford Sailing Club is based there. You can also enjoy scuba diving, water skiing, and surfboarding.
Newhaven Football Club plays in the Sussex County League. There is also an active archery club. The town has a large indoor bowls center. There is also an outdoor lawn bowling green near the marina. Newhaven Bowling Club started in 1902.
There are two cricket grounds in Newhaven. One is near the marina, and the other is close to Denton Village. There is also a tennis club near the marina.
Notable People from Newhaven
- Charles Wells, known as "the man who broke the bank at Monte Carlo."
- Charles Webb, who wrote the book The Graduate.
- Wreckless Eric, a musician.
- Ho Chi Minh, who worked as a pastry boy on the Newhaven–Dieppe ferry in 1913.
- Leonard White, an actor and producer of The Avengers.
- Nigel Buxton, a travel writer and TV personality.
- Alistair Appleton, a TV presenter and therapist.
Images for kids
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Newhaven from the air
See also
In Spanish: Newhaven para niños
