Tide Mills

East Sussex has always been a county that can boast something for all tastes, from the highly historic to the ultra-modern and all points in between. It’s home to castles, adventure parks, theatres, lighthouses, sporting facilities and so much more, of course, but did you know it also has a village that has become all but forgotten?

On the scenic coastal path between Seaford and Newhaven you’ll come across a strange assortment of now-derelict foundations, and one look at the accompanying notice boards will start to tell you their story. Tide Mills was a once-thriving village, centred around a corn mill that was powered by the waters of a tidal creek. In the 1800s, this was a community that was bustling. It even had a nearby railway station.

In the ensuing years, however, the mill closed, the machinery was sold off and the village suffered storm damage that was never repaired. Eventually, it was used for military training during World War Two and demolished soon after. What’s been left behind is sometimes eerie, mainly quiet and always fascinating. The boards tell stories about the village, the people who lived there and the houses they occupied. If you’re in the area at any time, it can prove to be an extremely interesting detour.

The GoLark team loves the fact the Tide Mills is something of a break from the norm. There are no entry gates, no gift shop, no café and no staff there. What it does have, however, is the ability to transport visitors back to a different time, a time when communities were established, had thrived and sometimes just disappeared.