Newhaven Fort Museum

Despite a seemingly never ending precession of storms sweeping across the country (with accompanying rain) the family and I are on holiday in the Sussex. We're British, and used to bad weather and refuse to let it stop us... But even we have had our resilience tested this week! Despite this we have been out and about and one of the best places we have visited was Newhaven Fort. 

There has been a gun battery here since Elizabethan times but it was the Victorian building program associated with Lord Palmerston that saw the creation of a huge fort to guard the harbour. It remained a military site until 1962 when it passed to the local council. Various projects came and went, including an idea to turn it into a holiday site, but today it is a Heritage Museum. 

Inside the fort the casemates have been turned into a series of exhibitions. 

It didn't start ticking, so all's good!

Part of a very good WWI exhibit

A fantastically detailed diorama of the trenches, in 3mm. I spent ages looking at this.

The level of detail in this model was mind blowing.

A detailed model of the fort showing its prime location in the cliffs overlooking the harbour.

It was a bit windy! I struggled to stay upright let alone take a selfie! 

Fortunately my wonderful wife let me bring some model on holiday to keep me occupied when we were confined to our cabin. 

We also got round the 1066 battlefield at Senlac Hill, now the site of Battle Abbey.  The bad weather meant the full battlefield walk was closed but fortunately I've been here before so didn't feel like I had missed out.

Part of the slope leading up to where the Saxon positions would have been. It's steeper than it looks, no wonder the Norman Cavalry had trouble charging up it and couldn't get the speed needed to break the sheild wall. 

We are heading home tomorrow and I need to get some work done after a week away from the Painting Challenge. But first I'll be attending Cavalier at Tonbridge on Sunday and a chance to restock some paints and other consumables. Despite the weather it has been a good week away and I feel like my batteries have recharged and I'm ready for the final weeks of the Challenge. Time to knuckle down and make that final push towards my points target.