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Cuckmere Haven

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Geography of Great
Britain

   Looking West over Cuckmere Haven
   Enlarge
   Looking West over Cuckmere Haven
   The Seven Sisters cliffs and the lifeboat cottages, from Seaford Head
   showing Cuckmere Haven (looking East)
   Enlarge
   The Seven Sisters cliffs and the lifeboat cottages, from Seaford Head
   showing Cuckmere Haven (looking East)

   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. It is a popular tourist destination where visitors
   can engage in long walks, or water activities on the river. The beach
   at Cuckmere haven sits next to the famous chalk clifs, the Seven
   Sisters.

   At low tides, it is possible to spot ironwork from the sea immediately
   seaward of the river. This is the wreck of the Polynesia, a German Sail
   ship, which ran aground somewhere west of Beachy Head, laden with a
   cargo of nitrate of soda during April 1890.

   The beach was commonly used by smugglers in the 16th, 17th and 18th
   centuries. For example, in 1783, two gangs of smugglers (each numbering
   200 or 300) overcame officers of the law by weight of numbers and
   carried away a large quantity of goods.

   In the second world war the site was subject to significant attention
   from the Luftwaffe as they flew missions to identify potential landing
   sites for the invasion of the UK mainland. As a result a series of
   counter-landing constructions remains, including numerous pillboxes,
   dragon's teeth tank obstacles, ditches and tank traps. Cuckmere Haven
   featured heavily in the war effort; at night lights were placed to
   confuse bombers into thinking they were above Newhaven and an airfield
   was set up further inland. As well as the permanent constructions the
   river was heavily mined.

   The beach at Cuckmere Haven was used for the opening scene in Kevin
   Costner's Robin Hood, Prince Of Thieves and the Seven Sisters cliff
   face was briefly featured in the Harry Potter film The Goblet of Fire.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuckmere_Haven"
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   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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