Strangers may consider that the whole town of Newhaven is curious and, with its roller-coaster history of highs and lows, that is quite likely true. Below are mentioned just one or two odd features.

There is a habit in Newhaven to change the name of a street at intervals as it progresses from start to finish. East of the river Railway Road,  as it proceeds towards the sea it alters itself to Beach Road and later Sewerage Works Road.  Similarly, west of the river, South Road becomes Fort Road and later Fort Gate. Think twice before becoming a postie here.

Along the West Quay, as you approach the sea, there is a stand-alone lamp house for river navigation.  This is on wheels and set on several feet of a railway line which comes from nowhere and goes nowhere.  The story is that a railway used to run along the west side of the river and that the lamp house, built elsewhere, was delivered precisely to its location by rail.  When the line went presumably the branch with the lamp house was cut off and left in place.

Then there was the old swing bridge which, until well into the 1970’s, used to span the river carrying the main Coast Road connecting Newhaven town centre to the east side of the river. Whenever it was necessary to open the bridge to river craft, eight men appeared with a key, which was inserted down through the road surface into the mechanism. Four wooden poles connected with the top of the key to provide arms at about waist height.  Two men to each arm wound the bridge open and wound it back again. Only now there is a new swing bridge, turned by electric motor, and the men, along with the old bridge have gone.      

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Magic and Logic ................... End of Page