Friday 2 May 2008

Martello tower's 200th birthday celebrations (Seaford - E.Sussex)

From the Sussex Express.

TWO special events are being held to celebrate the bicentenary of Seaford's Martello Tower.
An exhibition opens tomorrow (Saturday) with many pictures of the tower over the last 200 years as well as other towers around the coast.

The Seaford Martello Tower was the last (number 74) in the chain along the Channel coast.

It was also the most expensive with many more bricks used in its construction than the earlier structures.

Possibly, the builder in 1807-1808 knew that the Napoleonic wars were coming to an end and this was to be the last contract.

The exhibition also features a new small scale model of the town as it was 200 years ago, made by members of the museum, and a new painting of a panoramic view from the bay at the same period.

The display will run to the end of the year. The formal opening by Seaford's MP Norman Baker takes place today (Friday) before invited guests and members.

The second event is a mini craft fair, on Sunday, May 18 from 11am to 4.30pm. This is a popular annual event with several stalls around the tower in the lower moat or on the upper covered moat.

Several local arts and crafts will be featured plus more from further afield. Anyone wishing to book a stall should contact the museum. On the first Sunday afternoon each month, visitors can browse the archives with an archivist and research the extensive housing registry or records of families and events in Seaford history.

The museum is in the Martello Tower directly on the seafront at the eastern (cliff) end.

The postal address is PO Box 2132, Seaford, East Sussex BN25 9BH and the telephone number is 01323-898222. You can visit the website at www.seafordmuseum.co. uk


Full story here.

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