You know how sometimes you feel like you want to visit a place and it seems like a good idea, then you go and it’s not …..🤣🤣🤣
Well yesterday I did just that..
Mistake #1 I didn’t do any research
Mistake #2 I got off the train at Newhaven Harbour
Mistake #3 I didn’t do any research
So the lessons I learned: do my research and get off at Newhaven Town stop not the harbour.
Anywayyyyy…..I went, I saw, I can tick it off my list – I didn’t get the t-shirt 🤪🤪🤪🤪
So, Newhaven. If I’d done my research, this is what I would have learned.
1. Newhaven Harbour is a grim industrial area, and on the wrong side of the river. In my imagination I pictured a lovely pretty harbour with colourful boats and twee huts. It isn’t. I couldn’t even bear to take a photo it’s so depressing. There is a boat marina on the opposite side.
2. It’s a 10 minute walk back to Newhaven Town. Which to be fair, except for the interesting wooden houses close to the riverside, is almost as depressing. I normally like a bit of decay and love old Victorian houses, but seriously…
3. Even town centre is depressing.
4. Ho Chi Minh landed here in 1913? He was a Vietnamese revolutionary and politician. He served as Prime Minister of North Vietnam from 1945 to 1955 and President from 1945 to 1969.
After I returned last night I ‘did some research’ 🤪🤪 and this is what I found:
Newhaven: A channel ferry port in East Sussex.
There was a Bronze Age fort on what is now Castle Hill.
In about 480 AD the Saxons established a village near to where Newhaven now stands; named “Meeching” aka known as “Myching” or “Mitching”.
The settlement began to be known as the “new haven”.
Part of the Holmstrow hundred until the abolition of hundreds in the 19th c but not mentioned in the 1086 Domesday Book 🤨😒😒
Lies at the mouth of the River Ouse, westward from Seaford, one of the Cinque Ports formed by Henry VIII.
In 1848, the exiled French King Louis Philippe I landed here in disguise after abdicating his throne.
The village was of little maritime importance until the opening of the railway line to Lewes in 1847.
The railway reached the port in 1847.
Dredging of the channel and other improvements to the harbour between 1850 and 1878, enabled the port to be used by cross channel ferries.
In 1863 the LB&SCR and the Chemin de Fer de l’Ouest introduced the Newhaven-Dieppe passenger service.
The London Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) constructed their own wharf and facilities on the east side of the river, and opened the Newhaven harbour railway station.
The area then became known as the ‘new haven’, and officially recognised as ‘The Port of Newhaven’ in 1882.
Imports then included French farm products and manufactures, timber, granite and slates.
The present breakwater was built in 1890.
Newhaven harbour was designated as the principal port for the movement of men and material to the European continent during World War I.
Between 22 September 1916 and 2 December 1918, the port and town of Newhaven were designated a ‘Special Military Area’ under the ‘Defence of the Realm Regulations’, and the Harbour station was closed to the public.
During World War II, large numbers of Canadian troops were stationed at Newhaven, and the ill-fated Dieppe Raid in 1942 was largely launched from the harbour.
When Lord Lucan vanished in 1974, his car was found in Newhaven, in Norman Road, with two types of blood in it.
Newhaven offers regular passenger services to Dieppe.
All the above research ref wikipedia
I did my best and walked in a huge circle trying to find something really interesting, and some of the little sculptures came to the party, but in all honesty, it didn’t have the magic….that thrill of exploring a new place. In retrospect I could rather have gone to Seaford. Maybe next week. Meanwhile I cut my visit short by an hour and went back to Lewes.
If you can bear it here’s a short video
Oh dear! Very honest to admit when a day trip doesn’t live up to expectations. I think we’ve all been there. I’ll know know not to add poor old Newhaven to the list (which seems so far away these days).
Yes indeed 😄😄 I felt quite bad about not loving Newhaven, but I simply couldn’t get excited about the place…that doesn’t happen very often
Ha! Well we can’t like every place we venture to. I know I’ve travelled across the globe to see somewhere and have been thoroughly underwhelmed.
Hmmm, yes, I guess it does happen. Sometimes we build up a destination in our minds and the reality is somewhat different.
Indeed! That can happen quite often.