Name: Seaford Museum
Rating: 5.0

Seaford Museum

Seaford Museum of Local History, The Esplanade, Seaford, UK

1-99 Years

Paid

Website

Contact

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Description

The Seaford Museum and Heritage Society is a local history museum located at the Martello Tower in East Sussex, England. It was established in 1979 and contains objects, archives and displays relating to the history of the local area. The museum reopened in 2026.

The history of any place is affected, often dictated, by its geographical location, and there is no better example of this than the town of Seaford. Had it grown up a few miles further north, it would never have been more than a village and would probably have remained less important than neighbouring Alfriston which is sited next to a once navigable river.

Price starts from £5.00 for Adults, £2.50 for Children(5-15 & under 5s free). If you are looking for Best place for day out with kids and families then this is the perfect destination offering fun, adventure, and unforgettable memories for everyone.

Features

Paid
Host birthday parties: No

Features

The Tower: Newberry Tully, the Seaford estate agents, have very kindly made a virtual tour of our museum, which you can try out here. All their advertised properties can have a virtual tour like this at no extra charge.
History of Seaford: The history of any place is affected, often dictated, by its geographical location, and there is no better example of this than the town of Seaford. Had it grown up a few miles further north, it would never have been more than a village and would probably have remained less important than neighbouring Alfriston which is sited next to a once navigable river. But men settled in Seaford because it was on the coast and on a river estuary and it is this which has shaped its history at every period since. Flint implements have been found in and around the town, indicating Stone Age occupation of the area, and part of a large Iron Age hill fort is still discernible on Seaford Head in spite of considerable cliff erosion. There was a substantial Roman villa at Eastbourne and a Roman burial ground on the present Seaford Head golf course. Roman funerary vessels and Roman coins have been found locally so it would seem that Seaford was inhabited periodically, if not constantly, by Ancient Britons right through to the Romano-British period.
History of the Tower: The towers were part of defences built when Napoleon threatened to cross the ‘ditch’ (the English channel) in 1803. 103 towers were built from Aldeburgh in Suffolk around the coast to Eastbourne. They were based on the design of a tower on the island of Corsica noted by Admiral Jervis (commanding HMS Victory) when he attempted to recapture it for loyalist islanders from French rebels The tower was on Mortella Point, so called because of myrtle bushes growing there. This name became corrupted by the British to Martello. This one in Seaford, the 74th on the south coast, was built as an after-thought, when it was realised there was not adequate defence for Newhaven and Tidemills.
The Railway: Fever pitch excitement greeted the opening of the railway to Seaford on June 1st 1864, the station was dressed in yards of bunting and the sound of the nearby church bells rang through the air. The first train arrived bedecked in flags and puffing smoke; the railway had arrived.

Facilities

Website

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Price

Price: Paid

Price Details

Adults: £5.00
Children (5 – 15 years): £2.50
Concessions: £4.50
Children under: 5 Free

Pricing URL: https://seafordmuseum.co.uk/admission-prices/

Birthday Parties

Offer Birthday Parties: No

We are normally open to visitors from 11 am to 4 pm every Saturday and Sunday and each Bank Holiday (with the exception of Christmas day). We also open on Wednesday afternoons from 2pm to 4pm.
Our document archives are normally open, from 1:30pm to 3:30pm, on the first Sunday of each month. The Kathleen Aires room is closed until 18th April, while we prepare for a new exhibition of H.H. Evans pictures. This means that we will be unable to hold April’s session.

Address: Seaford Museum of Local History, The Esplanade, Seaford, UK

Post Code: BN25 9BH

Council: Lewes

County: East Sussex

Train: Train from Brighton or Lewes to Seaford station. Then a 12 minute walk to the museum. Turn right out of the station. At the mini roundabout go down Church Street. Pass the church and at the bottom of the hill take the right hand fork to continue down Church Street. Turn left onto Steyne Road then right onto The Causeway. At the end of the Causeway you will see the beach. Turn left towards the cliffs and you will see the Martello Tower with a cannon on the top.
Bus: Bus 12, 12A or 12X from Eastbourne or Brighton to Seaford Library or Seaford station. (12X does not stop at Seaford station.) From Seaford Library, walk down the hill until you meet the mini roundabout, then turn left to walk down Church Street. Then follow the directions above.