When I first visited Newhaven on my way to Dieppe a decade ago, the words “new” and “paradise” seemed wildly inaccurate descriptors for the town. I remember thinking that two contrasting adjectives would serve better.
There was an industrial plant that smelled suspiciously as if it was melting horses’ hooves, and a group of teenagers riding BMX bikes at great speed on the sidewalks (I could only imagine trying to escape the horse smoke descending on the town). When my ferry entered the English Channel, I didn’t look back.
But lately I’ve heard whispers of exciting things in Newhaven revolving around a new restaurant, a harborside pop-up bar and a giant cat. Perhaps most notable for locals is the possibility that the town’s French-owned beach may finally be open to the public after being closed for 16 years.
My tour of Newhaven began in the shadow of the aforementioned 20-foot cat leaping onto the side of a residence on Ship Street. Organizers of the Look Again Supergraphics Festival (which runs until June) commissioned artists to design 15 bold murals across the city, and this is what’s making headlines. The owner of the house, a musician named Danny McEvoy, spent years searching at car boot sales for porcelain cat figurines, which he pinned to the garden wall for the public to enjoy. Strangely, this huge psychedelic cat feels quite sympathetic to his surroundings.
“We wanted to bring joy and positivity to the town,” says Newhaven resident Anthony Peters, co-organizer of the event. He says there have been a few inevitable grumbles about the potholes that could be filled with the Leveling budget, but overall the response has been positive. Indeed, while unveiling one of the new murals earlier in the week, Peters held his breath when an elderly local gave his two cents’ worth. “It’s like the lights came on in Newhaven,” he said.
Newhaven is a small town so you don’t have to go far to see the next mural. Some artworks offer motivational calls to action: “Dance here,” says Marshall Lane. “Spend your time together,” declares another in Newhaven Square, where I see the last few pictures on the wall being licked. Others were commissioned to brighten previously gloomy underpasses or staircases.
“For some of us, it felt safer here,” says local resident Abi Blanshard. “You may be a little reluctant to go through some dark parts and underpasses. It feels a little nicer, a little cleaner, a little safer. “My partner works at the food bank and the people he talks to love it.”
All this is new ground for Newhaven. People have lived in this area since the Stone Age, but modern-day Newhaven emerged in the Middle Ages when the harbor at Seaford Head was filled and the River Ouse was diverted there. By the 18th century, breakwaters and piers began to be used, and a small coastal community, a “new sanctuary,” was born.
A period of prosperity followed. As Sussex oak was exported to the Continent, wines and spirits were also transported to the Continent. The arrival of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway in the mid-19th century brought employment and doubled the town’s population. Later in 1863, a passenger ferry to Dieppe was introduced, which was used to transport soldiers to Normandy during the First World War.
These days Newhaven remains a popular transit point for Britons driving to France. Otherwise, this is a working town with a focus on construction and manufacturing, but definitely not tourism. Events could have followed a different course. In 2012 Newhaven was chosen as the site for Britain’s largest water park, which included plans for a 400-room hotel. When it was revealed that the area under discussion was on contaminated land, the project was shelved by Kuwaiti developers. However, what opened that year was a giant incinerator that remains in operation today.
After completing the wall path, I crossed the swing bridge and reached the International Terminal on the east side of the harbour. Here I found a pop-up bar run by Abyss, the famous Lewes-based craft brewery that ships kegs of beer here by boat and bike. On site at the time of my visit, there are food trucks serving shawarma boxes called Kabak and a pizzeria called Corvaglia. More than 1,000 people attended the festival on its first day, far exceeding expectations, and Abyss confirmed that the festival will remain on site throughout the summer.
In the neighboring waterfront building, Sea Workshops, I stumbled upon the community poster printing workshop and found graphic art on display in the exhibition space next door. Mamoosh, the Middle Eastern delicatessen famous for its pitas, will soon have a permanent base in this building. Another sign that the winds may be changing in Newhaven.
Good art, good food, good beer. It feels like the only thing this seaside town is missing is a nice beach. This is where things get a little complicated. Newhaven has a sandy beach, a rarity in Sussex. The next beach to the west is at Witterings, 80 kilometers away. and the next one to the east is at Camber Sands, 50 miles east. But strangely Newhaven’s sandy West Beach is closed to the public.
The beach at the far end of the town is owned by the French-based Newhaven Port Authority (NPP) and has been closed to the public since 2008 due to safety concerns. There was significant backlash at the time and a lawsuit to turn the beach into a “village green” failed, but 16 years later the beach is still closed to the public. At the time of my visit, the steps leading down to the beach were thickly fenced with signs warning the public to stay away. But this may change soon.
Local Liberal Democrat candidate James MacCleary said he would make reopening West Beach a priority if elected MP on July 4.
“The beach is a long-running saga,” he said. “Politically and as a resident, I strongly want this place to be reopened to the public.” Last week MacCleary and local councilors met with Newhaven Port Authority to discuss plans to reopen the beach. While there are still safety concerns, he believes none of these problems are insurmountable.
“We’ve come a long way and I think we’re closer than ever to reopening this place to the public. We are just a few steps away. “Hopefully, we will achieve this in the coming years,” he said. In addition to the possible reopening of the beach, the West Beach promenade will soon add a children’s playground and a new restaurant, which will lift the now dreary space that was filled with attractions in the 1980s.
As I followed the signs to “Centre Ville” in the afternoon, I noticed that many shops had their lights off and some bars were closed (though the Bridge Inn and the Jolly Boatman were both closed). will reopen soon). But now “To Let” signs are as common as signs saying “Open” on many of Britain’s high streets these days.
Newhaven won’t become a tourist destination overnight, but what’s happening here is a very colorful flash of optimism. The town is calling for a second look, and I think anyone who heeds the call will be pleasantly surprised.
Things to do around Newhaven
Visit Castle Hill
Newhaven Castle, atop Castle Hill, was built in the 1860s and is the largest hill defense network built in Sussex. The local museum is currently undergoing a multi-million pound restoration and will reopen in 2025 with a new adventure playground and immersive exhibitions. For now, you can head to the car park at Castle Hill and enjoy a cliff-top walk with stunning views over the city and the Seven Sisters beyond.
Explore an abandoned seaside village
Located less than a mile from Newhaven, Tide Mills is a charming, now abandoned village built around a tidal flour mill that operated from 1761 to 1901. After wandering the crumbling ruins and reading the information boards, you reach a pebble beach. , popular with windsurfers and locals.
Walk along the river to charming villages
Up the River Ouse you’ll find a hopscotch of picture-perfect Sussex villages. At Piddinghoe, once the smuggling capital of Britain, you’ll find a round, flint-spired Norman church (one of only three in Sussex). In Rodmell you can visit Monk’s House, Virginia Woolf’s 17th-century retreat and today a National Trust site. Further upriver there is Southease, a lovely little village with a YHA and a good base for walks in the highlands.
Newhaven Maritime Museum
Newhaven Maritime Museum, on the edge of town and next to the Paradise Park family attraction, displays historical information about the local area. Here you’ll find artifacts from HMS Brazen, which sank off Newhaven in 1800, information about Newhaven during the wars, and – unexpectedly – a bronze statue of Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh, who worked as a pastry chef on Newhaven ferries. Years after the First World War. Who knew?
Where to stay
An interesting boat in the harbor
If the local Premier Inn isn’t to your liking (where rooms are admittedly very cheap), why not stay on a 23-metre houseboat on Denton Island, right in the middle of town? Called Cygnet’s Watch (sleeps three), this quirky, cozy and charming dilapidated Airbnb is accessed from a working shipyard. The room has an old radio and a working stove, and next door is a sunroom with table, chairs and books (£95 per night plus service charges).
Old Forge Open House
Old Forge Open House is another unique lodging option in South Heighton, featuring a charming, secluded studio for guests at the base of a wild sculpture garden. The room is equipped with a mid-century record player as well as a G&T honesty bar and has a small terrace overlooking the Ouse. Doubles from £110 per night for a minimum of two nights including breakfast.
get there
Southern trains from London Victoria to Newhaven take 1 hour 15 minutes with a change at Lewes (off-peak return tickets start from £20).