The Royal Artillery leaves and the Forts future is in doubt
1956
Newhaven Fort Timeline
Built in the 19th Century, Newhaven Fort is the largest work of defence ever built in Sussex and is the last of a long series of coastal defences built on the cliffs overlooking Seaford Bay, dating back to the Iron Age.
Newhaven Fort is completed after 7 years of construction. It is the largest military structure in Sussex, constructed from 6 million bricks, and is the first military structure in the world to use concrete!
The Fort enters World War One with Modern artillery and fires its first shots in anger… at a British ship! The Fort is a vital training centre for the Artillery, and hundreds of men pass through to fight on the Western Front.
Newhaven Fort is bombed by the German Luftwaffe, the only enemy action the fort sees in its century of active use! The Fort is one of the most important structures in Sussex during World War Two.
The Royal Artillery leaves and the Forts future is in doubt, will it be retained and used by other army units? Will it be sold off for private development? Will it survive another 100 years?!
