The Seven Sisters: Seaford To Eastbourne Hike

Wanting to discover some more one-day hikes near me, and most certainly inspired by the oh so fabulous Bill Bryson, I jumped on a train to Seaford to have a go at The Seven Sisters hike. The Seven Sisters are a group of (7!) chalk cliffs on the Sussex Heritage Coast. Each hill peak has its own name, Haven Brow, Short Brow, Rough Brow, Brass Point, Flagstaff Point, Flat Hill and Baily’s Hill in case you were wondering, and as the cliffs are right on the sea the walk offers simply sublime views of the English Channel. It was an absolutely magnificent day not only because the weather was fab but the coastline is just glorious.

What You Need To Know Before Hiking The Seven Sisters?

Trail

I started the walk at Seaford walking along the coast and getting the train back from Eastbourne. There is no notable ‘middle point’ to the walk, however, the two pit stop pubs are great places to take a break and take in the views. The Seven Sisters themselves are beautifully photogenic and you certainly won’t be putting your camera down for Beachy Head Lighthouse. Rumour has it you can stop for a swim on Beachy Head, I’ll certainly be doing this next time.

Facilities

About an hour into the walk we stopped for lunch having arrived at the pub a lot sooner than expected. The Cuckmere Inn is positioned just before you start the ups and downs over the seven sisters and is really quite a nice gastropub with views of the coast. Once you leave The Cuckmere Inn your next resting point with facilities is at Birling Gap on Beachy Head. They also sell ice cream here in case you were wondering. The final stop you could make is at The Beachy Head pub about 16.6km into the walk. I was delightfully surprised to find a paragliding fair going on right beside the pub so this provided plenty of entertainment. There are benches along the path so if it’s a quick sit down you’re looking for you’ll be fine all the way. There’s also lots of grass…in case the benches are taken.