Seven Sisters Walk - Guide complet et carte GPS

La mer, le soleil et... la marche des Seven Sisters, bien sûr ! Lorsqu'il fait beau et que les températures grimpent, lacez vos chaussures de randonnée (ou de trail runners, c'est l'été après tout), appliquez la crème solaire et sortez le brim de l'armoire. Il est temps de profiter d'une promenade sur la côte sud et, qui sait, peut-être même de faire un plongeon dans la Manche, d'un bleu éclatant.

Après une première tentative ratée des Seven Sisters pendant la tempête Sebastian (ce n'est évidemment pas le meilleur jour pour tenter une promenade côtière), j'ai dû recommencer, mais cette fois-ci en m'assurant que le temps était propice à la promenade.

Cette promenade doit absolument être faite par une journée ensoleillée pour en profiter au maximum et prendre les meilleures photos. Si vous ne savez pas quoi faire ce week-end, voici la promenade côtière idéale pour l'été.

Logistique de la marche des sept sœurs

Contenu connexe : 10 Conseils pour la randonnée en été

Points forts de la promenade des sept sœurs

• Seaford
• Plage de Seaford
• Tour Martello
• Cuckmere Haven
• Les sept sœurs
• Monument William Charles Campell
• National Trust Birling Gap
• Phare de Belle Tout
• Phare de Beachy Head
• Eastbourne

Promenade des sept sœurs

Que sont les sept sœurs ?

Les Seven Sisters sont une série de 8 falaises de craie au bord de la Manche, s'étendant de Seaford à Eastbourne, dans le Sussex.

Les marins ont donné le nom de Seven Sisters (sept sœurs) parce qu'ils pouvaient voir sept falaises blanches en approchant de la côte. Cependant, une autre falaise était recouverte par l'herbe jusqu'à la plage et ne pouvait être vue. Avec l'érosion, cette huitième falaise est désormais visible depuis la mer.

Situé dans le Parc national des South DownsLe South Downs Way longe les falaises et offre une vue imprenable sur le littoral de la Manche. La craie donne à l'eau une couleur turquoise semblable à celle des Caraïbes, ce qui rehausse la beauté du site. Le site est laissé à l'érosion naturelle et les promeneurs sont invités à faire preuve de prudence et à ne pas s'approcher trop près du bord.

Les falaises emblématiques des Seven Sisters ont été présentées dans plusieurs films et programmes télévisés, notamment dans le film Robin des Bois de Kevin Costner en 1991.

Les falaises des Sept Sœurs ont-elles un nom ?

Oui, ils l'ont fait ! Et voici la suite des noms des huit pics :

• Haven Brow
• Sourcils courts
• Sourcils rugueux
• Pointe en laiton
• Flagstaff Point
• Flat Hill
• Baily’s Hill
• Went Hill Brow

So now you know everything about the Seven Sisters cliffs, let’s get to the walk.

Seaford

Our walk starts in Seaford, a seaside town in East Sussex. It was a prosperous town in medieval times thanks to its port. However, it fell into decline as the harbour became obstructed by silt and the town suffered many invasions from the French. During the dark times of the town, its inhabitants were known for scavenging wrecked ships. There is folklore saying that the people of Seaford would place fake lighthouses on the cliffs for the ships to run aground.

The town got a second youth in the nineteenth century thanks to the development of the railway and became a seaside resort. Nowadays, Seaford is a commuter town for professionals working in the nearby Brighton and Eastbourne towns.

Getting out of Seaford onto the Hills

Welcome to Seaford!

When you come out of the train station, take Church Street on the right side of the Station. You pass in front of St Leonard’s Church, built in the twelfth century with the tower added in the fifteenth century. When you arrive at Steyne Road, cross over and take St John’s Road.

And here you are, on the Esplanade in front of the beach!

Walk across the Esplanade onto the beach. You notice the bright blue of the water, looking more like the Caribbean ocean than the English Channel. The colour comes from the chalk in the water.

Walk alongside the beach until you arrive at the Tour Martello. This tower is the number 74 of a series of 103 defensive forts built during the French Revolutionary Wars.

At the end of the beach is Seaford Head which does not form part of the Seven Sisters, but you need to walk up that hill to get to the trailhead.

So, to summarise, it is called Seven Sisters but in fact, they are eight sisters, plus you need to add Seaford Head. So in fact you have a total of nine hills to get through!

Contenu connexe : Isle of Portland Walk

Cuckmere Haven

On the other side of Seaford Head, you can see the Seven Sisters Cliffs facing the sea.

Go down the hill and you arrive at Cuckmere Haven Beach. The beach is a bottomland, an area adjacent to a river which experiences flooding when the tide is high or during intense rainfalls. This is where the River Cuckmere meets the English Channel.

From the Tudor to the Georgian eras, Cuckmere Haven was mainly used for smuggling. During WWII, defences were built along the beach to prevent German planes from landing. Some of the counter-landing defence still can be seen on the hillsides surrounding the beach.

When going at low tide, you can cross the beach to get to the Seven Sisters trailhead. However, during high tide, you need to take a detour through the marshlands on the river banks. Enjoy this easy flat walk following the river as it is the last bit of flat terrain before the climb starts.

Climbing the First Three Cliffs

And there we are, the long-awaited moment of the climb.

The first couple of hills are steep, and you will find that they are holes in the ground, perfect to stick your foot into and push forward.

The views from the top of the cliffs are breathtaking and don’t forget to turn around from time to time to see the beauty of the South Downs farmlands on your left and the town of Seaford behind you.

I leave it to the pictures to describe the beauty of the scenery because pictures speak louder than words

Flagstaff Point

The fourth peak is Flagstaff Point, easily recognizable by the stone monument at the top. No, it is not a trig point but the William Charles Campbell monument.

But who was William Charles Campbell?

Born in 1889 in Bordeaux, France, to an English father and a French mother, he joined the British Royal Flying Corps in 1916. During WWI, he destroyed 5 German observatory ballons and was credited with 23 victories. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order and the Military Cross decorations. The monument named after him on Flagstaff Point is to celebrate his generous donation to the Seven Sisters Preservation Fund.

Birling Gap

Three more hills and you arrive at Birling Gap. This National Trust site offers several facilities from public toilets to a coffee shop serving a range of hot or cold drinks and snacks as well as a souvenir shop. If you did not bring any food with you on this walk, then this is your chance.

Birling Gap is also a perfect spot for pictures. You also find stairs leading down to the beach where you can hunt for fossils at low tide.

If you counted right, you have now walked the eight cliffs of Seven Sisters. You could stop here and follow the path leading to East Den village. From there, you can take a bus to Eastbourne.

But if you want to continue walking to Eastbourne, continue reading.

Tip: Stay away from the crowded Birling Gap coffee shop for lunch and take your lunch with you up to Beach Head Hill. You would enjoy a quieter lunch and get a much better view. See the picture below

Contenu connexe : Hiking Summer Lunch Recipes

The Light Houses

After lunch, continue on the coastal path and you arrive at the first lighthouse, Belle Tout. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the coast has been the scene of numerous shipwrecks. The need for a lighthouse felt necessary, but it is not until the Thames ship ran aground on the rocks that the project of a lighthouse became a reality. The first version, made of wood, was operational in October 1828, and the final granite version in 1934. The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1902 and went through different owners over the years.

Belle Tout is known as “Britain’s most famous inhabited lighthouse” as it figures in numerous films and TV programs, including the James Bond movie The Living Daylights.

To replace Belle Tout which did not meet the expected hopes, another lighthouse was built, but this time at the bottom of the cliffs, 165 m into the sea. Constructed in 1902, Phare de Beachy Head was first inhabited and then became fully automated in 1983. It is easily recognisable by its red and white stripes.

Almost There

Continue walking on Beachy Head Hill and you start seeing the coastal town of Eastbourne from afar. As you arrive at the end of the path there is a Pub, but no time to stop here for a drink, we still have some walking to do before arriving in Eastbourne. At the end of the road, divert onto the footpath ahead of you. Take a look back and admire the South Downs countryside and what you have achieved.

At the bottom of the hill, you can see the turquoise water with luxurious vegetation: hard to believe you are in England!

At the end of the path are some really steep steps: as you must be thinking you were done doing anything difficult, sometimes the descent can be as hard as the ascent…

Eastbourne

And, just like that, you are in Eastbourne!

This seaside resort located at the bottom of Beachy Head is a commuter town for London and Brighton professionals. It is also a tourist destination, with an attractive seafront offering activities such as a children’s adventure park, a pier with restaurants and a gift shop, a mini-golf and a Ferris wheel.

Walk alongside the beach on the Eastbourne promenade until you reach a set of stairs leading up to the streets. Walk up the stairs and continue straight on Devonshire Place until you reach the Memorial roundabout. Take Cornfield Road on the opposite side of the roundabout and walk towards Ashford Road. The train station is on your left.

Have a safe trip back to London!

Map of the Seven Sisters Walk

Are you ready for the challenge? Download the GPS map of the Seven Sisters walk by clicking on the button below. To learn how to upload it on your navigation app, follow my step-by-step guide ici.

Final Thoughts on the Seven Sisters Walk

I hope you will enjoy this walk like no other. And, if you are looking for more coastal walks near London, why not check these posts?

Hastings to Rye Walk

De Margate à Ramsgate

Hassocks to Shoreham-by-Sea

Lulworth Cove To Durdle Door Walk With Map

South Coast Path From Newhaven To Brighton

And you, what is your favourite coastal walk? Let me know in the comments below.

Cette promenade vous plaît ? Épinglez-la !