Our Community
We serve a range of communities at Newhaven Port, from a thriving creative arts scene to the 200-year-old RNLI station on West Quay.
Here’s information on a few of them.
Creative arts
The iconic Marine Workshops on East Quay have a rich history dating back to 1882. Originally used for the repair of train and ship engines, nowadays the building – amongst other things – provides office space for Lewes District Council and acts as a space for art exhibitions and artists’ workshops.
Fishing community
We’ve got a longstanding association with the fishing industry in Newhaven, and it has significantly influenced the town’s development and cultural identity.
Newhaven hosts about 30 operational registered smaller-sized fishing vessels, moored along the West Quay. These boats are predominantly owned by independent local businesses, with many being members of The Newhaven (Sussex) Fish & Flake Ice Society. The Society provides various services, including fish handling, bait supplies, ice supplies, and cold storage, supporting the local fishing community.
Sailing and watersports
Newhaven Gig Rowing Club brings traditional Cornish gig rowing to the River Ouse and the bay. See them most mornings rowing through the port.
Newhaven Yacht Club is a small friendly club founded in the 1960s catering mostly for those moored in the marinas at Newhaven and for local crew members.
The club is for anyone looking for competitive, adventurous or fun sailing. Members have a wealth of experience they are only too happy to share. Find out more on the yacht club website.
Newhaven and Seaford Sailing club provides organised racing series on Sundays and Wednesday evenings throughout the summer. Their clubhouse is on the beach at Seaford and they have facilities at an inland lake at Piddinghoe, with sailing all year round.
Piddinghoe is a RYA Training Centre offering sailing & windsurfing training and RYA powerboat training on the sea and on the lake. Working with Brighton Watersports they off SUP (stand-up paddle-boarding), kayak and other water sports experiences at Piddinghoe and also at Brighton. Find out more on their website.
If you prefer underwater, then head for Newhaven’s Scuba Diving Centre in Fort Road, at the Marina. Check out the dives information online, and their courses for beginners.
The South Downs National Park
We’re lucky to be nestled on the edge of the South Downs National Park, a stunning expanse of protected countryside that stretches across Hampshire, West Sussex, and East Sussex. It was designated as a national park in 2010, becoming the UK’s newest and most populated national park.
It’s approximately 1,627 square kilometres (628 square miles), and stretches over 140 kilometres from Winchester in Hampshire to Eastbourne in East Sussex. Around 120,000 people live within the park, making it unique among UK national parks for its blend of rural life and conservation.
Newhaven’s landscape is characterised by rolling chalk hills, the mouth of the river Ouse, and iconic chalk cliffs. Protecting our beautiful landscape is part of the reason we’re committed to sustainability at the Port.
RNLI Lifeboat Station
Newhaven Lifeboat Station is one of the oldest lifeboat stations in the UK. Established in 1803, it predates the formation of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) by over two decades. The RNLI took over its operations in 1854.
The station provides vital search and rescue services along the south coast of England, covering the area from Beachy Head to Brighton. The station has two lifeboats, an all-weather vessel named David and Elizabeth Acland and an inshore vessel named Elaine McLeod Scott.
Local businesses
Newhaven has a vibrant community of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Newhaven Enterprise Zone (NEZ) supports economic growth in the town, and Newhaven Chamber of Commerce – of which we’re proud members – is at the heart of a thriving network of local businesses. The Chamber hosts networking events, including weekly breakfast meetings and social events.
A variety of sectors are represented within our business community, including:
- Advanced engineering and manufacturing
- Clean, green, and marine technologies
- Creative and digital industries
- Food and drink manufacturing
