Hiking The Seven Sisters in England

/ Yale Wanders

During the first bank holiday in May, I stayed in London- a rarity for me on a long weekend.

But, with so much travel in April and May planned, I knew taking the time to rest and explore more of England would be the right choice.

Seeing sunshine on the forecast and eager to get outside the city one day, I decided to visit Seven Sisters County Park in East Sussex.

Heard of the white cliffs of Dover? The white cliffs at The Seven Sisters are said to be whiter and more scenic than Dover.

IMG_2633

Ready for a day of hiking, I took the train to Seaford. If you’re not driving to The Seven Sisters, you can catch a train to Seaford, Eastbourne or Brighton (which is slightly further away). From any of those stations, you can hop on the coastal bus to the entrance of the park, Seven Sisters County Park.

Or, if you’re in the mood for a hike, you can start in Seaford as I did and hike to the entrance of the park.

The first part of the hike took about ~45-60 minutes, but we were walking at a leisurely pace. Another alternative to hiking from Seaford, would be taking the bus to the Seaford Head Viewpoint (one stop before the park entrance), and walking up the hill behind the coastguard cottages for a view of all seven sisters.

IMG_2586IMG_2601

Once we made it to the start of the cliffs, we took our time climbing up and over each one, taking in the rolling green hillsides, pastures of sheep, waves breaking below and stunning cliff sides.

IMG_2676IMG_2645

There’s a trail a bit back from the cliff side that you can safely follow. On the day we visited, the sun was shining and wind was minimal so we alternated taking the marked trail and walking a tad closer to the cliffs.

IMG_2667IMG_2679

Eventually, we made it to Birling Gap, where we treated ourselves to a Mr. Whippy, and watched swimmers for a bit before jumping on a bus back to the park entrance.

IMG_2696IMG_2693

At the park’s entrance, we stopped in Salt Marsh Farmhouse cafe for a late lunch and pint. If you’re interested in spending the night in the park area, you can stay in once of the farmhouse’s quaint bedrooms. Or, I’d recommend taking the coastal bus to Eastbourne or Brighton for an overnight stay- lots of Airbnbs, b&bs and hotels to choose from, as well as great places to eat and drink.

IMG_2570

All in all, a great day trip to escape the crowds of London.

If you’ve visited London or England, what’s your favourite day trip from the city?

Other Posts You May Enjoy

Leave a Reply