A 19th century fort will be opening a 1970s themed escape room as part of its £7.5 million restoration.

Newhaven Fort is set to open the attraction next year to coincide with the reopening of the historic landmark to the public in early 2025 following the major refurbishment.

The project, which includes essential repairs and maintenance work to preserve the landmark, has been taking place throughout this year.

The escape room, called The Lucky Escape, will transport visitors back to 1979 when Newhaven Fort was being restored following years of disuse.

Teams will be challenged to recover a missing briefcase full of cash linked to a high-profile personality with a notorious gambling addiction who has disappeared in strange circumstances. 

The story nods to the well-known disappearance of Lord Lucan, whose car was found abandoned in Newhaven in the 1970s.

The escape room will be inside the Grand Magazine area, originally built to hold the fort’s stores of gunpowder.

General manager Lindsay Lawrence said: “As part of our £7.5 million restoration, which includes brand new exhibitions, a revamped adventure playground and new access to unseen areas, we think the escape room will appeal to a wide range of people and provide another fun activity for visitors to our town.

“While the story takes inspiration from Lord Lucan’s disappearance here in Newhaven, we were keen to develop a new concept which is firmly embedded in the setting of Newhaven Fort.

 “We decided on a 1970s theme, fittingly when the fort last underwent major restoration, which means we’re going to have some fabulous sets for teams to explore, including a bar and a secret hideout, with lots of props and references to that decade.”