Project exploring the history of Tide Mills village progresses

Phil Rose from LYT Productions gave an update on the Tide Mills Project during a virtual Q&A session hosted by Lewes District Council.

He said 15 artists from the local community had been commissioned to create a piece of work related to the history of the village, which is located between Newhaven and Seaford.

Working with local schools and community groups, they are designing a series of ‘weird and wonderful installations’ which will be displayed during Heritage Celebration Week from September 20 to 26.

Visitors will be given guided tours around the installations, and will also be able to watch performances and take part in workshops.

Each exhibit will illuminate a different aspect of the village’s history, which spans from 1761 to 1940, when the remaining residents were evicted.

“It’s for people to discover for themselves what was there and put the jigsaw pieces together,” said Mr Rose. “Mainly the big focus is on the village and villagers.”

A huge tidal mill at the site once produced more than 1500 sacks of flour a week.

Workers lived in a thriving village, which had a school and a blacksmith. There was also a large greenhouse growing exotic fruit and an enormous pineapple pit.

Mr Rose saidthe project would show how people adapted to the closure of the mill by finding work at the port or in the fields, and also show the conditions that they lived under.

The event would be free and fully accessible, he added.

During the live Q&A session, viewers were shown images of the proposed layout of the event.

Zoe Nicholson, deputy leader of Lewes District Council, said: “It’s absolutely amazing and astonishing to see both the variety of the things we are celebrating in that area and also to see how far you’ve got with the development of it. It’s really great.”

As preparations continue, Mr Rose said they were still looking for more tour guides and stewards to sign up.

He is also asking anyone with links to Tide Mills, for example anyone who had a relative living there, to share their story.

Find out more at tidemillsproject.uk