Present day Newhaven

Once, life in Newhaven very much revolved around the port and local people are still proud of this heritage. The town continues to have a real maritime feel, not only because of the daily comings and goings of ships in and out of the harbour, but also because many recent developments have deliberately been built in a style to reflect the town’s maritime origins. A prime example of this is the recently completed West Quay Phase 1 development, which is comprised of high quality housing along the riverside built in a style designed to evoke fishing lofts. Also included in this development are a state of the art new fish market and processing facilities, a new lifeboat station, riverside open space and cycleway/walkways. A second phase of development on the West Quay has now started, which will include high quality apartments overlooking the harbour and sea and new marina facilities. Following this, it is expected that attention will switch to the eastern side of the river, known as the Railway Quay.

Although the port and the sea remain so closely connected with the identity of the town, economically the port declined in importance during the latter half of the twentieth century, as did so many other ports across the country. Today, Newhaven has evolved into the industrial heart of the Seahaven coastal strip, with over 360 businesses operating in the area, most of which have little or no connection with the port, and which include market leading manufacturers and cutting edge technology companies. There is extensive support available for local enterprise, including from the thriving Newhaven Chamber of Commerce and from the recently set up Newhaven Enterprise Gateway, a special network for entrepreneurs and young companies in the area.

Despite its status as a working town, Newhaven has plenty to offer the visitor. There are two major tourist attractions within the town – Newhaven Fort, a nineteenth century clifftop fortress, complete with ramparts, guns and underground passages, which houses fascinating displays and audio-visual presentations of life in wartime Britain – and Paradise Park, an attraction for all the family, which includes a dinosaur park, collections of fossils, minerals and crystals, wonderful indoor and outdoor gardens, crazy golf, a miniature railway and children’s amusements.

Another interesting area to explore is the Ouse Estuary Nature Reserve, recently created just to the east of the town. This is an area of natural marshland and reed beds at the mouth of the River Ouse, through which paved paths have recently been built, offering opportunities for walking, cycling and bird watching. From here it is a short stroll to the lost village of Tidemills (see the Newhaven History section of this website). All that remains of this village, once home to about 100 people and centred around a mill operated by the tide, are low flint walls, but it is a fascinating place to explore. Information panels help visitors to interpret what can be seen.

There is an excellent local history museum in Newhaven, the Newhaven Local and Maritime Museum, situated next to Paradise Park in Avis Way. The Museum has a fascinating collection of relics, documents and photographs relating to the history of the town and is well worth a visit.