| Seaford | |
|---|---|
 Seaford viewed from off-shore with the Head in the background | |
  Seaford Location within East Sussex | |
| Area | 6.327 km2 (2.443 sq mi) [1] |
| Population | 22,862 (Parish-2011)[2] |
| • Density | 3,613/km2 |
| OS grid reference | TV482990 |
| • London | 67 miles (108 km) north |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | SEAFORD |
| Postcode district | BN25 |
| Dialling code | 01323 |
| Police | Sussex |
| Fire | East Sussex |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| UK Parliament | |
| Website | Seaford Town Council |
Seaford is a town in East Sussex, England, east of Newhaven and west of Eastbourne.[3]
In the Middle Ages, Seaford was one of the main ports serving Southern England, but the town's fortunes declined due to coastal sedimentation silting up its harbour and persistent raids by French pirates. The coastal confederation of Cinque Ports in the mediaeval period consisted of forty-two towns and villages; Seaford was included under the "Limb" of Hastings.[4] Between 1350 and 1550, the French burned down the town several times. In the 16th century, the people of Seaford were known as the "cormorants" or "shags" because of their enthusiasm for looting ships wrecked in the bay. Local legend has it that Seaford residents would, on occasion, cause ships to run aground by placing fake harbour lights on the cliffs.[5]
Seaford's fortunes revived in the 19th century with the arrival of the railway connecting the town to Lewes and London. It became a small seaside resort town, and more recently a dormitory town for the nearby larger settlements of Eastbourne and Brighton, as well as for London.
The traditional Sussex pronunciation of the name has a full vowel in each syllable: /ˈsiːfɔːrd/ "sea-ford". However, outside Sussex, and increasingly within, it is commonly pronounced with a reduced vowel on the second syllable: /ˈsiːfərd/ SEE-fərd.
- ^ "East Sussex in Figures". East Sussex County Council. Archived from the original on 28 December 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2008.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 June 2015. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ OS Explorer map Eastbourne and Beachy Head Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – Southampton B2 edition. Publishing Date:2009. ISBN 978 0319240823
- ^ Simon. "Cinque Ports 1155 to 1500 - History effecting Kent & Sussex". Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
- ^ Village Net :Seaford Archived 9 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine