The Newhaven Heritage Centre (NHC) is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) — the direct successor to the Newhaven Action Group (NAG) which was set up in 2009 in order to restore the pre-existing Newhaven Community Museum.  This had been closed because of council financial constraints.

Its purpose is to preserve, protect and promote the rich heritage of the area. People cared for — and about — each other in “Old” Newhaven. They shared and supported each other through adversity.

Fishing was the mainstay occupation for most of its existence and has always been dangerous and hard work.  Early in the sixteenth century, The Society of Free Fishermen was established which looked after the interests of its members and provided for the welfare of widows and children and the poor. It kept a distinct village identity secure over at least four hundred years. And we want to make sure this continues, for it’s good to be part of a caring community..

It helps to do this if you know more about the lives of your forebears and one of our aims is to preserve and tell people about Newhaven’s story. Knowing about the past of your community helps to anchor it in your mind and keep you part of it. We see ourselves as nourishing the roots of belonging to Newhaven as a community.

Our biggest challenge over the years has been the lack of a place in Newhaven in which the Heritage Centre could be based. However, not having a physical base has not stopped us contributing to the culture and improving the Newhaven environment. Accepting this to be the case, we have used this to our advantage by making the old village itself the museum using our extensive, and growing, library of images.

Thanks to the generous support of the National Heritage Lottery Fund, we have developed this heritage trail — our Stravaig Through Time.

By following a route of QR codes mounted at set locations, this will reveal, in pictures and words, Newhaven as it used to be, giving insight into the community to residents and tourists alike. Other Stravaigs are currently being planned with the next one being specifically aimed at helping children understand how life used to be in the village.

We are also creating a companion photo library website of these images, which will be available from the spring of 2023.  In the meantime, we have our exhibition in Ocean Terminal in the old vacated Debenham’s store managed by The Living Memory Association, with much of this information and some of the pictures on display.

All of these activities are promoted in our free quarterly digital newsletter, The Bow-Tow, to which you can subscribe by writing to the email address below.  (Please let us know your postcode, used for analysis purposes.)

Although our priority continues to be the preservation and promotion of the history and heritage of the community of Newhaven, we have a continuing commitment to improving the local physical environment. If you would like to join us to help in practical ways, please get in touch with us at clerk@newhavenonforth.org.uk.

Visit www.newhavenonforth.org.uk for all the latest on community events.

Also www.newhavenheritagecentre.org.uk the virtual museum of Newhaven on Forth

Newhaven life is here at www.facebook.com/NewhavenOnForth

See the latest additions at www.facebook.com/NewhavenHeritageCentre

Subscribe to the Bow-Tow newsletter at newhavenheritage@gmail.com

Join the lively conversation at www.facebook.com/groups/The Bow-Tow

Help Newhaven Grow at www.facebook.com/NewhavenHeritageCommunityGarden also on Twitter and Instagram