"Sittin' on the dock of the bay"
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Seaford

Seaford is a coastal town in the county of East Sussex, on the south coast of England. Lying east of Newhaven and Brighton and west of Eastbourne, it is the largest town in Lewes district, with a population of about 23,000.

In the Middle Ages, Seaford was one of the main ports serving Southern England, but the town's fortunes declined due to coastal sedimentation silting up its harbour and persistent raids by French pirates. The coastal confederation of Cinque Ports during its mediaeval period consisted of a confederation of 42 towns and villages in all. This included Seaford under the 'Limb' of Hastings. Between 1350 and 1550, the French burned down the town several times. In the 16th century the people of Seaford were known as the "cormorants" or "shags" because of their enthusiasm for looting ships wrecked in the bay. Local legend has it that Seaford residents would, on occasion, cause ships to run aground by placing fake harbour lights on the cliffs.

"The wily locals exploited their rights to flotsam and jetsam to the full, even to the extent of luring ships onto the beach by lighting fires. Scores of vessels fell prey to the wreckers of Seaford shags. Grounded in the bay they were stripped of their cargos" - Lewes DC local history of Seaford

However, Seaford's fortunes revived in the 19th century with the arrival of the railway connecting the town to Lewes and London. It became a small seaside resort town, and more recently a dormitory town for the nearby larger settlements of Eastbourne and Brighton, as well as for London.

The traditional Sussex pronunciation of the name has a full vowel in each syllable: "sea-ford". However, outside Sussex (and increasingly within), it is commonly pronounced with a reduced vowel on the second syllable: "seaf'd".

Local authority: East Sussex County Council

OS Grid Reference: TV481988

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Things to see and do in and around Seaford

  • Seaford Museum
  • Dinos
  • Newhaven Fort
  • Paradise Park
  • Drusillas Park
  • Seven Sisters Sheep Centre

Tourist Information

Seaford
Tourist Information Centre
37 Church Street
East Sussex
England
BN25 1HG

Phone 01323 897 426
Email seaford.tic@lewes.gov.uk
http://www.seaford-sussex.co.uk

Photos are automatically tagged by geographic coordinate proximity and/or are submitted by website visitors, and may not necessarily be specifically of Seaford.

Weather

Forecast for Sunday 20 August

06:00


Chance of rain 0%
Max temp. 11°C
(feels like 10°C)
Wind 2mph, gusting to 5mph.
WNW
Pressure 1024
Humidity 89%
UV Index
Air Quality

09:00


Chance of rain 0%
Max temp. 16°C
(feels like 14°C)
Wind 3mph, gusting to 4mph.
W
Pressure 1025
Humidity 69%
UV Index
Air Quality

12:00


Chance of rain 0%
Max temp. 18°C
(feels like 15°C)
Wind 4mph, gusting to 5mph.
WSW
Pressure 1025
Humidity 61%
UV Index
Air Quality

15:00


Chance of rain 0%
Max temp. 18°C
(feels like 15°C)
Wind 4mph, gusting to 6mph.
WSW
Pressure 1025
Humidity 64%
UV Index
Air Quality

18:00


Chance of rain 26%
Max temp. 17°C
(feels like 15°C)
Wind 3mph, gusting to 5mph.
SW
Pressure 1024
Humidity 73%
UV Index
Air Quality

21:00


Chance of rain 56%
Max temp. 16°C
(feels like 15°C)
Wind 2mph, gusting to 3mph.
SSW
Pressure 1024
Humidity 86%
UV Index n/a
Air Quality
Five Day Weather

Nearby coastal places and features

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Accomodation in and around Seaford

Hotels, guest houses and B&Bs

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