Retreating from the City: The Seven Sisters Cliffs

By: Jake Keller

After a few weeks of getting lost in the bustling metropolis of London, I was ready to take a break from the city. The Seven Sisters offered me an idyllic escape along the southern coast of England. It only took around two hours to get there, and the sights were truly breathtaking.

I departed from Victoria Station around 12:30 p.m. with my travel companion, Simran, and we embarked on a train ride to Eastbourne. It was a charming town with a few shops and restaurants, but I only saw a small part of it as we rushed to catch our bus. There’s an option to take a 13-mile hike beginning at Eastbourne, but we opted for the 7–8 mile route from Birling Gap. The trip to Birling Gap requires a bus from Eastbourne. We accidentally got on a hop-on-hop-off bus, and although it was a little more expensive (£12), the upper deck’s open top offered us fantastic views.

Birling Gap has a visitor center and a café, which offers your last chance to purchase food; however, we had decided to pack our own. It was a little unclear where to go next, but we eventually found a gravel road that led us to the cliffs. A heavy shroud of fog made visibility limited; it felt as if we were in the clouds. I slowly walked toward the edge and peered down at the ocean as waves crashed onto the shore. It was stunning. 

The first half of the hike took us over the Seven Sisters themselves. As the name suggests, there are seven peaks. The trek is a pattern of walking uphill and then treading down a steep decline. The haze was thick, but we could still see the sisters’ faces protruding over the infinite sea below. An hour or so passed before we reached the halfway point: Cuckmere Haven.

The path dipped down and led us toward a rocky beach. The sky was gray, almost like a storm was near, but a few people still swam in the water. We were in a valley between the Seven Sisters and their neighboring cliffs, with a river dividing them. We explored the beach for a moment but decided to make our way forward in pursuit of a picnic spot. As we approached the river, we realized there was no bridge. I checked my map and saw that the nearest bridge was a mile down the Cuckmere River.

At first, I was annoyed by this unexpected detour, my stomach grumbling, but as we ventured into the countryside, my spirits shifted. There were pastures full of cows and sheep, backdropped by the distant cliffs. The rolling green hills seemed never-ending, and the sun began to peek through the clouds. On our way back toward the sea, after crossing the bridge, I stopped to photograph bunnies snacking on the grass.

When we finally made it back to the cliffs, the weather had turned. We continued our hike and looked back at a clear view of the peaks we had traversed. We found a spot above the cottages at Cuckmere Haven and settled in for our picnic. It was perfectly serene, and we had a stunning view of the Seven Sisters. We were in no rush as we tried to take it all in.

Onward we went to the town of Seaford, where our train home was set to depart. The conclusion of the hike was much flatter. I felt euphoric and continued to look back at the gorgeous cliffs now behind us. On the horizon, the sky was painted with shades of tangerine and cerulean, and we walked toward it. Our hike came to an end, and we took the train back to the city. The day was complete, and my heart was full.