At first glance, Seaford can seem like a straightforward Sussex seaside town. It has a long curvy beach, a pleasant promenade, independent shops and some of the finest views on the south coast. But look a little closer and another Seaford begins to emerge.
Today, walkers come for the spectacular views across the Seaford Head, Cuckmere Haven and Seven Sisters. Yet long before tourists arrived, the headland was already an important place. Archaeological evidence suggests it was first used as a Bronze Age burial site before later becoming an Iron Age hillfort. Standing on the cliffs today, it is easy to understand why. The position commands magnificent views of the coastline and would have provided an ideal lookout point over both land and sea.
Hidden caves and tragedy
The cliffs themselves have long inspired stories and speculation. For centuries, this stretch of coast was notorious for smuggling. Hidden coves, isolated beaches, inlets, rivers and chalk caves offered opportunities for contraband to be landed under cover of darkness before disappearing inland.
And don’t be fooled by the fact that The Buckle is an area to the west of the town, just as you head out towards Newhaven, because one of the more intriguing locations on Seford Head is Buckle Church. This is a geographical dip in the cliffs (as you walk from Seaford towards Cuckmere Haven) and it’s also a former cave which was almost inaccessible and was believed to be an Elizabethan hermitage or the legendary “Puck Church Parlour”. Nearby, the area is remembered for a tragic event in 1881 when local boy John Costick fell to his death while collecting gull eggs from the cliffs.
Secret messages and hidden beaches
Along the headland sits one of Seaford’s most popular attractions, alongside one of its often overlooked historical curiosities: the Coastguard Cottages and the Cable Hut. The Coastguard Cottages attract hundreds of photographers every year for their stunning backdrop of the Seven Sisters. Lucky enough to have been inside on a NGS open day, we can report they are as quirky and delightful as they seem with the most incredible coastal view and terrace.
Today privately owned, the Cable Hut’s appearance gives little hint of its remarkable past. In 1900 the site was purchased by the Anglo-American Cable Company, which planned to lay a cable between La Havre and Cuckmere Haven as part of a wider transatlantic communications network. Telegraph messages carried by overhead wires would be transferred beneath the sea, helping connect Britain with continental Europe and beyond.
As tensions in Europe increased and war approached, the strategic importance of these cables became apparent. Following the German occupation of France, fears grew that the communications links could be intercepted and exploited. The decision was taken to sever the cables entirely, a task carried out by the Royal Navy vessel Alert. The area’s wartime role expanded further in 1942 when it became part of a decoy site designed to resemble nearby Newhaven Harbour from the air. The Cable Hut was requisitioned and converted into a pillbox as part of Britain’s coastal defences.
In between Seaford Head and Cuckmere Haven, Hope Gap is one of the most beautiful points on the Sussex coast. Hope Bottom path once wound down to a secluded beach, known for its spectacular views of the Seven Sisters cliffs. These days, the historic access steps are closed due to severe erosion and the beach is only accessible during low tide.
Dragon’s teeth and tunnels
During both World Wars of the 20th century, Cuckmere Hven and Hope Gap were obvious and specific German targets for invasion. In WWI, Canadian troops were stationed here. In WWII, anti tank ditches and defences were installed at Cuckmere, and the giant concrete bolders that were part of this can still be seen today and are known as Dragon’s Teeth.
WWII left its mark elsewhere too. Just inland at South Heighton, the Royal Navy secretly excavated around 450 metres of tunnels into the chalk hillside. Hidden from view, these tunnels formed part of the military infrastructure established to protect the coast during one of the most uncertain periods in Britain’s history. Today, they remain completely in accessible and underneath an area of residential housing.
Back in Seaford itself, more tales of tunnels still abound. The Crypt, one of the town’s oldest surviving buildings and widely regarded as one of the oldest secular structures in Sussex, stands as a reminder that Seaford’s story stretches back many centuries beyond its modern appearance. And local legend has it that there is a tunnel that links it to the church. As yet, no concrete (excuse the pun) evidence has been found.
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