Seven Sisters Cliffs Sussex

The Seven Sisters are the most impressive cliffs in southern England between Eastbourne and Seaford. They are seven consecutive chalk cliffs that shape the coastline of the South Downs.

The cliffs are wonderful for a long walk. If you go a bit further, you should take an umbrella as a precaution. Since there is very little vegetation on the cliffs except grass, you are exposed defenseless to the winds coming from the English Channel. Those who are afraid of heights should not venture too far forward, while everyone else enjoys a wonderful view down to the beach and out over the English Channel.

A little way from Birling Gap, which is usually the starting point due to the best transport connections, you enjoy the wonderful silence of nature. On the cliffs there is nothing but a few goats. Due to the vastness of the Seven Sisters, you never feel like you're in a tourist stream.

Points of Interest Nearby

East of the cliffs is the village of Birling Gap. This village is known for being severely threatened by the erosion of the chalk cliffs. Here also stands a lighthouse (Belle Tout) that has already been partially dismantled. From Britain's highest chalk cliff, Beachy Head at a height of 162m, you have an excellent view of the lighthouse.

It's also interesting to know that the landscape, through the protection of cliffs and hills, is one of the places in England with the most hours of sunshine.

The Seven Sisters, like the cliffs in Dover, are chalk cliffs. These were formed by marine creatures such as cuttlefish, sea urchins, and mussels, whose calcareous shells, armor, and skeletons settled on the ocean floor and over thousands of years formed a chalk layer up to 500m thick. These animals lived about 70 million years ago in a shallow, lukewarm shelf sea that stretched from England to the Caspian Sea.

During the last Ice Age, the chalk deposits were lifted from the depths and pushed together, after which the coastal course visible today formed following the retreat of the glaciers about 10,000 - 12,000 years ago.

To get to the Seven Sisters, simply follow Seaford Rd between Seaford and Eastbourne, then turn right towards Birling Gap, where you get the most impressive view down the cliffs. There is also a cafe/pub/restaurant located here, and it is close to Belle Tout lighthouse.