Newhaven lies at the mouth of the River Ouse, in the valley the river has cut through the South Downs. Over the centuries the river has migrated between Newhaven and Seaford in response to the growth and decay of a shingle spit at its mouth.
Newhaven actually has two marinas – one is on a branch of the Ouse
River, and populated with house-boats and paddle steamers that look as
if they’ve sailed here from the Mississippi.
There’s a more upmarket marina at West Quay, with smart yachts and a
swanky tower block apartment complex, still with a great deal of
old-fashioned charm.
West Beach is the only sandy beach on the South Coast until you reach
Camber Sands, but it’s owned by French company NPP, who quibble about
the crumbling breakwater and insurance, so there is a fence preventing
access to the sand, the breakwater and the lighthouse.
On the cliffs above the beach, Castle Hill is a local nature reserve, where wild creatures thrive in the dense bushes.
Since 1851, there’s been a regular sea route to France from Newhaven. The ferry sails three times a day to France and back.
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