Newhaven

Newhaven is one of a small number of ports on the South coast, which connects England with mainland Europe.  There have been regular sailings to France from here, mainly to the French ports of Dieppe and Le Havre.

The history of the town goes back a few millennia.  A fort was built during the iron age, and the Saxons also built a town here.  Originally this town was called Meeching, but it was renamed New Haven, after the estuary of the river Ouse was diverted in 1539.  This intervention greatly boosted the importance of the town, as it - rather than nearby Seaford - was able to establish itself as the strategic port it is today.

The town played an important part during both world wars. The port was used extensively during World War I, mainly to transport troops to and from the continent, and during the second world war the port was the base of the legendary Dieppe Raid.  Even though this raid was a total disaster at the time, the allies learned many lessons from it, and these helped enormously during the D-Day landings in 1944.

Today the town is a thriving port, with the Ferries bringing many visitors to the South Coast.  The Newhaven Fort, which was built in the past to protect the harbour, is one of several tourist attractions.