Walking along the beach at Tidemills, near Newhaven, the remains of the mills powered by the tide drew me back to the intensely moving Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, by New York architect Peter Eisenman, opened in 2005. The 2711 concrete slabs of differing sizes are set on a slope near the Reichstag. Identical in two dimensions, they vary in their third dimension, their height, and, as you walk between the Field of Stelae, you find yourself disappearing from view. Elements of life exist – small trees.
The Tidemills, completed in 1788, at one time producing up to 190 tonnes of flour a week, employed 60 men and supported the life of the village surrounding it. Rail lines were built to take the flour to Newhaven and from there to London, but by 1936 the mills had long been stopped and the village was condemned. The picture shows the mill race sluice in the distance and the foundations of the Chailey Marine Hospital, a second residence built for children with disabilities to take advantage of the sea air – the original residential school, Chailey Heritage in North Chailey, still offers a wonderful environment for severely physically challenged children and young adults.
Two entirely different tributes – swimming against the tide.