A day trip to the Seven Sisters.
When you live in the city sometimes you just need an XL dose of nature. The Seven sisters in South Downs National park just outside of Brighton is the perfect destination and only a few hours from London.
How to get there
There are a couple of ways that you can do it.
1. A train from London Victoria to Brighton and then a 12x bus to the Seven Sisters National Park stop.
2. A train from London Victoria to Seaford station with a change at Lewes
3. A train from London Victoria to Eastbourne and walk backwards.
IMO option 1 is the best way to do it! Just a reminder that your contactless card will not work like trains in London you actually need to purchase a ticket off the trainline app before leaving :)
Price: £25 open return to brighton and then £4 for the bus to the trail head.
Tickets here.
Once you arrive
Once you get to the trail head there is a carpark and a bathroom (the only one until you reach the Belle Tout lighthouse).
The trail splits into 3, the trail to the far left follows along the creek towards the beach and has the steepest incline. The centre one goes straight up and over the first hill before veering right towards the coast. The far right trail follows the road and doesn't follow along the coast it passes through farms.
Where to stop
Both times that I have done this I walked to the Belle tout lighthouse and then got the bus back to Brighton, this is a nice 'taster' of the walk without being repetitive. If you are a stickler for pain you can walk all the way to Eastbourne a total of 7miles.
How long does it take
If you are going from the trail head to Belle tout I would allow around 3 hours, this allows plenty of time to go at your own pace, take beautiful photos of the stunning white cliffs and stop off for a delicious picnic lunch at your 'sister' of choice. We always tend to stop at the 4th one as it's halfway and it's less distance once you start walking again ;).
Can anyone do it?
The trail does have accessibility accommodations for wheelchair users, you can find more information here.
Fitness wise: I have a cooked hip and I have been capable of doing it. It's just repetitive hills - my suggestion if you have back or leg pain of any description is to keep it slow and do some light stretching before and when you stop at half way just so you don't seize up.
What to bring
~ Good stable shoes
~ Some snicky snacks
~ Plenty of water
~ Slip slop slap (sun safety is imp. it's completely exposed)
~ A light sweatshirt/rainjacket, it's on the water so it gets windy!
~ Swimwear/towel, right near the lighthouse is the most beautiful beach that's just begging you to take a dip.
What to do now?
Once you make it to the lighthouse there is a visitor centre and another carpark where the bus leaves from. The bus leaves every 30 minutes and is absolute carnage, jump in line at least 15 minutes before the scheduled departure and get those elbows ready ;).
Brighton is a S T U N N I N G queer friendly beachside town with loads of boutiques, quirky art galleries and seafood. The pier has a games arcade, an amusement park and delicious fresh cinnamon donuts (remember, you have already worked off any calories!
If you would like any tips for other things to see / do in Brighton specifically, reach out
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#awanderingredhead
