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As you will have seen, Cuckmere Haven was an ideal place for smugglers - but what makes a good landing area, also makes a good invasion spot! During the Second World War, the area was identified as a potential landing place for the German army and as a consequence, was fortified in a way that would make it difficult for tanks and foot soldiers to make it across the valley.
Images courtesy of Kevin Gordon
Cuckmere defences were completed in September 1940 and ran from Exceat bridge down to the sea. These defences included barbed wire obstacles, anti-tank walls, ditches, pillboxes and gun emplacements.
The defences were well-placed, covering weak spots and using the natural topography of the area to full advantage.
In addition to the fortification, Cuckmere Haven had a secret… In September 1942, the area was designated a ‘QL’ site. QL sites were areas created to act as decoys of other areas - in this case, the strategic port of Newhaven. The plan was that on notification of approaching enemy aircraft, Newhaven would extinguish all light and Cuckmere Haven would be lit up, giving the illusion of being Newhaven and being bombed as a result. During this time however, an undersea cable was being laid by the General Post Office to connect England and France, meaning that if the area was indeed bombed, they would be putting both people and cross-Channel communication at risk. As a result of this, the decoy site was abandoned within a year of being created.
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