History
The first occupiers of the locality was prehistoric man; flint objects such as arrow heads and axes have been found; At about 3,500 BC, a more advanced stone age man started to arrive on the coasts of south east England. Bringing agriculture to the Cuckmere Valley, deforestation happened in the area around Cuckmere Haven, radically changing the areas appearance.
By AD 1000 Exceat village had developed, and was become a thriving settlement, being noted in the Doomsday book; by the 1500s the village was greatly reduced, due to the Black Death and sheep farming on the downs. Smuggling was a bit activity along the coasts of southern England, and Cuckmere haven was no exception, In 1840 the canalised section of the river was constructed by prisoners at Lewes Prison to reduce flooding.
The last war involved Cuckemere Haven to a far greater degree than during any previous outbreaks of hostility. During the early part of the war, and extensive network of LIGHTS was laid out within the valley. The purpose of these was to give German bomber crews the illusion that they were over the port of Newhaven, around 6 miles Westwards. Later on Pillboxes were constructed and can still be seen in the valley to repel any German invasion.
Understand
Cuckmere Haven is an area of flood plains in Sussex, England where the river Cuckmere meets the English Channel between Eastbourne and Brighton. The river is an example of a meandering river, and contains several oxbow lakes. The beach at Cuckmere haven sits next to the famous chalk cliffs, the Seven Sisters.
The River Cuckmere has been forming the meanders since the last ice age, in the 19th century the meanders were cut off by a canal for shipping up the river and to lower the risk of flooding there is currently a plan to re-instate the meanders to promote the growth of a salt marsh.