Please sign in to post.

Trip Report: Seven Sisters from Brighton UK

This is a beautiful, scenic park on the south coast of England! If you enjoy nature and walking along the top of cliffs with a view of fields and sea (on a sunny day), it's a breathtaking experience. In September 2023, I took a day trip from Brighton (just one hour via the 12x bus to the Seven Sisters Country Park Visitors Centre).

If you are coming from Brighton, I would recommend stopping by the visitor centre to get a map brochure, stop by the restroom, and ask questions. There are basically 3 options for hikes from the centre.

  1. Short walk to the beach. If you have young children, I would take the flat path along the Cuckmere River for 0.5 miles toward the beach. At this point, you can turn around back to the centre for an easy 1-mile trip, or you can climb a steep trail to join the South Downs Way trail.

  2. Moderately difficult walk to Birling Gap. This trail avoids the beach, but climbs up and down a few hills - you'll open a few gates and cross fields. It's not strenuous, but the hills will feel like climbing stairs. After 45 minutes, you'll reach the cliff edge with water views. Continue left toward Birling Gap as you enjoy scenic views. I think the most scenic part of the hike for pictures was the midpoint (Brass Point) between the seven cliffs. It takes about 1.5 to 2 hours in total to reach Birling Gap (walking along the top of all seven cliffs). When you reach Birling Gap, you can find a small visitor centre for refreshments and a restroom break. You can then catch a sightseeing bus (4 pounds) for East Dean, then walk a short distance to the 12x bus stop westbound for Brighton.

  3. Long difficult walk to Beachy Head. This trail includes the hike above, but you will then continue uphill toward the lighthouse (Belle Tout) after Birling Gap. Keep going until you see a red lighthouse. If you're tired, catch the sightseeing bus at Belle Tout for East Dean. If you're up for more walking, go ahead for another 2 miles to Beachy Head. The views are pretty, but it's about 3-4 hours in total for this long walk (10 miles in total, I think.). At the Beachy Head visitor center, I was exhausted and a bit dehydrated. Glad to have taken a sightseeing bus (4 pounds) for East Dean where I walked a short distance to pickup the 12x bus westbound to Brighton.

Has anyone travelled to Seven Sisters Country Park from Eastbourne? My impression is that it's much easier to see the white cliffs from Eastbourne because of the sightseeing buses which run along the coastal route passing Beachy Head, Belle Tout, and Birling Gap (I suppose you could walk in the reverse direction and turn around at Brass Point - the midpoint of the seven cliffs).

Posted by
399 posts

Has anyone travelled to Seven Sisters Country Park from Eastbourne?

I spent a few nights in Eastbourne to use as a base to hike the South Downs Way in 2022. Absolutely loved it. (The town of Eastbourne is enjoyable on its own). I went on a 13 mile hike from town center to The George Inn (highly recommended pub from the 1300’s) in Alfriston to have a few well deserved pints of real cask ale. The hike hit some of the areas you mentioned (Burlington Gap, Seven Sisters etc) but after the half way mark, the trail heads away from the coast, to a lovely river running through the forest with the white chalk horse watching over you in the background. Endless hiking opportunities. The hike was long and, as you know, you get a pretty good workout with the elevation gain (and loss) when you are hugging the coast. A bus ride back from Alfriston was easy enough. My pre trip research seemed to suggest hiking the direction to Eastbourne is better but my hike from Eastbourne was lovely. Sounds like you had fun. Cheers.

Posted by
4580 posts

Besides the views from near the lighthouse we found the most spectacular views of the seven sisters were from the Seaford Viewpoint. We had a car and I'm not sure how accessible the viewpoint is with public transit.

Posted by
3 posts

Nice to know the walk from Eastbourne is just as lovely. Also, that if you have a car, there's a viewpoint of the Seven Sisters (white cliffs) from Seaford.

Overall, I enjoyed my time in Brighton during the conference. The sea breeze was very pleasant in September. If you have 1-2 hours available, I would strongly recommend visiting the Royal Pavilion - a whimsical architectural wonder built for King George IV. I showed my conference badge to receive a free audio guide which greatly enhanced the experience, but would have gladly paid the extra 2 or 3 pounds anyway. The room interiors are stunning and the pavilion has a fascinating history (which you can only learn through the audio guide).

In Brighton, I stayed at the Q Square Hotel (near the clock tower) which was conveniently located about half-way between the rail station (10-15 minute walk) and the coastline (10-15 minute walk). The modern apartment-style hotel was great with a full-size refrigerator and stovetop for boiling eggs. It also had a mini washer and dryer in the unit. The only downside was the lack of air conditioning (which was uncomfortable for one night in September during the last stretch of a UK heat wave). Just had one final tip to share from the trip report.

If you're visiting Brighton, walking from the rail station to your downtown hotel with luggage is easy (it's mostly downhill). But I think it's well worth paying the extra 5-6 pounds for a taxi ride to carry your luggage from the hotel back to the railway station (it's all uphill). Your feet and back muscles will thank you later!

Does anyone else have travel tips to share from experience of visiting Brighton, UK?