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A major new restoration project is under way at the 150-year-old Newhaven Fort, which is one of the largest defensive works ever built in Sussex.
The £7.5 million project aims to open up previously inaccessible areas of the fort, such as hidden tunnels and observation posts, when it reopens next year.
Located near the town of Newhaven, between Brighton and Eastbourne, the fort dates back to the late 19th century, when the British government commissioned a series of more than 70 coastal defences to help counter the threat of invasion posed by France under Emperor Napoleon III.
Designed by Lieutenant John Charles Ardagh of the Royal Engineers, the fort was innovative in many ways. It featured a new type of drawbridge and was among the first military fortifications whose construction involved the mass use of concrete.
The fort went on to be an important defence, supply, and communication station in both the First and Second World Wars. In 1939, a coastal radar-site was built just outside the fort, which was linked to a large underground naval communication centre nearby. It first opened as a museum in 1988.
Following the restoration work, visitors will be able to explore the fort’s Battery Observation Post, which offers panoramic views of the Sussex coastline. In addition, the fort’s gun positions will be reopened following a long period of closure. Structural repair and drainage works will be carried out as well.
Lindsay Lawrence, the general manager of the attraction, said: ‘Since the fort’s closure to the public and our final school visits, we’ve been working tirelessly to prepare for its transformation – emptying out the casemates, removing old exhibits, and carefully moving artefacts into safe storage.’
‘We’re so excited to be opening new areas and building brand new interactive experiences and displays,’ Lawrence added. ‘Our aim is to ensure Newhaven Fort is an exciting visitor attraction which Sussex can be proud of.’
