Spectacular Views at Seven Sisters, Birling Gap, and Beachy Head
Visiting the chalk cliffs on the English Channel near Eastbourne in East Sussex should be on everyone's your bucket list!
We walked through pastures of lush green farmland on our trek to the Seven Sisters, and I must admit that this was a highlight because of the adorable sheep grazing all around us. I suspect some were marked by the farmers just before rainfall, which resulted in pink and blue sheep!
First stop: Seven Sisters
The world famous Seven Sisters chalk cliffs, one of the longest stretches of undeveloped coastline on the south coast, provide unspoilt views of the sea from all angles. The Seven Sisters have appeared in films as diverse as ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’, ‘Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves’, ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’, ‘Brighton Rock’ and even a James Bond film, ‘The Living Daylights’.
Second Stop: Birling Gap
Birling Gap provides a point of entry for coastal walks. The beach at Birling Gap is set at the base of the imposing, sheer chalk cliffs known as the Seven Sisters. Despite being set between the well known seaside resorts of Eastbourne and Brighton this is one of the longest stretches of undeveloped coastline on England's south coast.
Final stop on our trek: Beachy Head
Beachy Head cliff is the highest chalk sea cliff in Britain, rising to 162 metres (531 ft) above sea level. The imposing cliffs are draw you in but they are not without risk. Visitors are warned to stay a safe distance away from the cliff edge which is very unstable and strongly advised not to walk the beach between Cow Gap and Birling Gap. Tide changes and regular cliff falls make this walk both difficult and dangerous.
On a sad note: this is one of the top suicide spots in the world. Beachy Head Chaplaincy Team patrols the cliffs day and night providing crisis intervention and search and rescue services. The Team averages over 760 searches resulting in over 270 rescues each year since 2009.
The coastline is eroding 10 times faster than the past few thousand years due to human management and changes in storm intensity. The cliffs erode an average of about 1 metre a year! So, get travelling and put the chalk cliffs on the English Channel on your must-see list!