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Cuckmere Haven
Cuckmere Haven photos
Displaying the first of 1 old photos of Cuckmere Haven. View all Cuckmere Haven photos
Cuckmere Haven maps
Historic maps of Cuckmere Haven and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Cuckmere Haven maps
Cuckmere Haven area books
Displaying 1 of 24 books about Cuckmere Haven and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Cuckmere Haven
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East Sussex memories
East Quinton Boarding School
I went to a boarding school just ouside Seaford, called East Quinton. They were happy days as we used to walk from the back of the school to play in the trenches. I often wonder if they are still there.
East Quinton School From Early 1973-1975
My name is Junior Mayhew and I also went to East Quinton School from early 1973-1975. The boarding school small pupil wise, but had lots of land to play on including two very large fields and an old farming area. The house staff used to take us out in groups for many nice walks on the South Downs often leaving from the back of the school most evenings and shopping at weekends. We often would go up to old barn and play in the old trenches of what we called the Hidden City as it had lots of walkways, old shelters and WWII gun placements etc which were overgrown with bramble and stinging nettles and not so visible when looked at from the town of Seaford. Sadly that has all of that has gone now, but some of the shallow trenches remain. They probably seemed deeper as we were kids, but hey! Health and safety rulings I guess. If we were not going on walks we were out in the... Read more
Life in The Village
I was lucky enough to grow up in Litlington and also worked in the village shop/post office for Jack Keeble. I can trace my mothers family(Reed) back to the early 1800's they were from nearby Alfriston, so I have a very strong connection with Cuckmere valley. I had a very happy childhood, firstly in Lullington 1961 to 1966 and then Litlington 1966 to 1980. Village life, it takes some beating.
My Memories of Burnt House Farm Alfriston Circa 1938
I remember being taken down to Alfriston in the 1930s before the Second World War. My great-aunt and great-uncle, Polly and Arthur Newell, had a smallholding on the downs, about half a mile from the village, where they kept chickens and ducks, and a few sheep. My mother told me that Aunty Polly helped a cousin, Jack Butland, to buy the farm, where he lived for many years with his wife, and children - but more details I cannot recall, as I was very young, and not long after, the Second World War started. Aunty Polly and Uncle Arthur had their property 'taken over' by the War Office and I understand Canadian soldiers were billeted there. After the war the property was an absolute ruin, and my uncle and aunt went to live in Eastbourne, in a Victorian house in Ceylon Place.
Many memories stay with me of our visits to Alfriston, where my young brother and I spent many many happy hours.
Mackerel Fishing
Many's the time we wandered along the edge of the harbour and up and down the landing stages, studying the leathery faced fishermen's busy hands as they worked on the nets, or repaired lobster pots. We'd peep around, what seemed huge metal doors and gates clad in rusting wire mesh, to get a glimpse of the boat yards beyond, and if we'd enough in our pocket for a cup of tea, we stop at the cafe that looked across the harbour, and out towards the bridge on the left. The owners always had time for us, and if they had any stale bread and cake, they'd let us have it to feed the swans that swam among the boats just a few steps from their entrance, though needless to say, the swans only got what was left after we'd picked out all the edible bits.
It was from Newhaven that I had my first fishing trip. A family friend took us out in his small fishing boat, and the... Read more
Watch House Duties
It must have been in the late 1960s, I was on duty in the old watch house and, as was my habit, I was hooking out whiting out of the Harbour. Fish that at the time had no commercial value at market, and the fishermen threw them back in. I was so engrossed in my angling when a voice behind said "What's all this then, what are you up to?". I turned and there was a policeman standing there, so I replied, "Fishing!". He thought I was being evasive, so I casually hooked a fish out and he was convinced. It really looked suspicious, as I was using a long handled broom and catching the fish on the broom head and flicking them ashore. Andy Relf was the policeman and we remained friends for a very long time, unfortunately we are no longer in touch, but if he happens to read this, perhaps it will make him smile as it does me.
Mum With Kids
The lady in the foreground looks very like my mum with me walking to her left and my sister in the pushchair. We lived locally and went to the beach all the time. It would be interesting to see that part enlarged so I could identify them. My favourite memory of that time was the excitement we felt on arrival and smelling the familiar smell of seaweed draped all the way up the concrete steps leading on to the sand, and the lovely feel of sand under your feet as you padded down them.
