Seven Sisters - Sussex

Why on earth was I concerned about the weather? Clearer & even warmer than yesterday - perfect day for a cliff-top stroll!
Left the van in Eastbourne, close to the pier, & caught a bus out to Exceat & the Seven Sisters Country Park Visitors Centre, the point from which we'd headed back inland to Alfriston yesterday

Morning view of Eastbourne Pier, all looking deceptively quiet! The bus was packed, the town was busy & it was almost an hour after we parked up that we actually set out walking!

Extravagant meanders of the River Cuckmere as it winds across the flood plain
Yesterday we walked up the far side to the 'Golden Galleon' & lunch
Today we followed the equally extravagant South Downs Way which, instead of following the river, climbs up & down every conceivable foothill on its way to the coast!

Beautiful Cuckmere Valley flood plain

Seaford Head & coastguard cottages - yesterday's cider & chocolate spot!
The man-made shingle bank, constructed in the 19th century along with the levees alongside the river, are now being allowed to erode naturally
Rising sea-levels will return the flood-plain to the estuary it once was

Off on the wonderful roller-coaster walk out to Beachy Head - nowhere near as tough as it looks it should be! Short, sharp descents & quick ascents with rarely more than half a dozen level steps at the top & bottom of each!

Looks quiet but that's just a photographic illusion! Several Junior School groups were strung out across the uphill bits (never seemed to see them going down!) whilst hordes of older Spanish students cavorted downhill (never seemed to see them going up!)
Watched them returning to their coaches as we sat in the garden of the 'Beachy Head' pub!

Precariously situated cottages at Birling Gap

First intended pub stop was to be at the Birling Gap Hotel, a wonderful Victorian colonial villa-style establishment fondly remembered from previous excursions
It's shut!
Bought by the National Trust, they've closed the bar & opened a cafe that charged us £4.20 for a coke & an apple juice; if we'd had the car they'd have charged us £4 for that as well. An outdoor stall offered over-priced trinkets & tat. The web-site tells me there should have been a fish & chip van there as well
I thought the National Trust were about conservation & preservation not desecration & exploitation
A sad spot

                      Beachy Head


At 530', the highest chalk sea-cliff in Britain
The lighthouse was built as recently as 1902, mainly because the beam from the original cliff-top Belle Tout light (1834) was often lost in mist!

Beer of the Day: with the 'Birling Gap Hotel' closed we repaired to the 'Beachy Head' & they'd obviously had a busy day! Sold out of 2 of their 3 ales, they could only offer 'London Pride' - opted instead for Aspall's, one of my favourite ciders!

Highlight of the Day: met & chatted to a couple from Epping in the 'Beachy Head' garden who were half an hour or so away from completing the South Downs Way walk. Compared notes on different long-distance routes & it brought back a few memories..... !

A sunnier, end-of-day view of Eastbourne Pier!

The last time I was in Eastbourne several of the grand seafront hotels were closed & a couple were boarded-up; in fact, the whole place looked rather drab & run down. Very different now - much smarter, brighter & looking well-kept

Song of the Day (an occasional series!): Kevin Coyne's 'Eastbourne Ladies'