Newhaven coastguard team are based in the once busy commercial port of Newhaven, and “guard” the coastal strip from the mouth of the River Cuckmere, westwards to Black Rock at Brighton.

Our area isn’t just contained to the coast. Newhaven Coastguard Rescue Team (CRT) were tasked for three days during the major flooding incidents in both Lewes and Uckfield back in 2001.

As a cliff rescue and recovery team, we are often tasked by the police and paramedics to rescue people from our inland cliffs and hills, although a large majority of our work is carried out on the coast.

We have two separate areas of cliffs in our area. Seaford Head to the East of Newhaven and Peacehaven to the west of Newhaven. Seaford head has the highest cliffs in our patch reaching 300 feet or more in some places. The cliffs at Peacehaven reach 200 feet in places and extend from the West Beach in Newhaven right the way through to the Marina in Brighton, only dropping to the sea at Saltdean.

Newhaven CRT has 2 helicopter landing sites (HLS), in our patch and is often called to attend as and when required. Our primary role at the HLS is to clear the areas of people and debris prior to the helicopters arrival, (1 is a popular football pitch in Brighton) and then give clearance to the helicopter to land.

We then assist in loading or unloading the casualty or casualties to waiting ambulances. East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service operate an offshore fire fighting team from Newhaven, partly funded by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, which are flown by our helicopters to ships in the channel when required.

There are several marinas in our guard. Brighton Marina is by far the busiest with some 1500 vessels ranging in size from 14 ft to 100 ft in size. Newhaven’s river Ouse has several boatyards and approx. 800-1000 boats. Newhaven Marina a few hundred yards from the sea has approx. 500 boats and a popular sea angling fraternity. Approximately 1 mile up river from the sea is Denton Island which has 3 boat yards and approx 200 —300 vessels ranging in size from 14 ft to 100 ft. on the island are Peter Leonard Marine, the largest boatyard north of the swing bridge, Newhaven Deep Sea Anglers, a member’s only fishing club and Meeching boats. Newhaven once had an extremely busy fishing industry, but today has only approximately 20-30 fishing boats. We have 2 commercial passenger ferries travelling from Newhaven to Dieppe with two or three crossings a day.

North of the swing bridge is the North Quay, the only part of the Newhaven port which is still in daily use. There are 5 commercial berths, 1 scrap berth and 4 aggregate berths loading and unloading cargo from all over the world.

Newhaven CRT liaise and work in harmony with many other rescue organisations in and around Newhaven.

The RNLI operate an all weather Severn class lifeboat stationed at Newhaven which we can request launch at any time of the day or night. In Brighton Marina the RNLI have an Atlantic 75 inshore lifeboat.

Brighton lifeguards patrol the beaches of Brighton and Saltdean through the busy summer months. Seaford lifeguards patrol the beach at Seaford. Newhaven National Coastwatch Institution provides visual watches from the former Coastguard Lookout on Castle Hill, reporting any problems to the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre at Lee on Solent.