The first travel destination in the UK I would like to share is Seven Sisters, located between Seaford and Eastbourne in East Sussex. Being the 3rd visit this time after ones in 2012 and 2014, I feel it is totally legit to share what I have seen.
If you like having a walk with the nature, this is the place for you. The slope of the Downs is fairly gentle, so it will be a nice, relaxing getaway during the weekend from London.
Seven Sisters seems to become more and more beloved particularly by Korean visitors, as I could see the increasing number of Korean travellers during my biennial trips. There certainly are a few reasons for this popularity that I can think of, which you might agree as well:
1. The Comforting Colour Combination from the Nature
Photo taken by Or Asawawilaswong
Seven Sisters is part of the many chalk cliffs along the Channel. The bright white colour from the cliffs go really well with the green bit seen at the top of the Downs/Cliffs as well as with the blue sea. When reaching the top of the cliffs, you will find the colourful view very relaxing and liberating from the busy and stressful surroundings in London.
If you take either Park Trail (blue) or South Downs Way (green), you will get to see the view from the Downs.
2. A Scenic Picnic Spot
3. Tranquility
As Seven Sisters gets increasingly more attractive than before, you might think the area is spoiled now by too many tourists. Maybe but also not necessarily.
A lot of people seemed to take paths at the ground level; I have chosen those ones previously as well, but this time we went up to the hill, taking the South Downs Way (a green trail on the map). And there, you don’t see almost anyone but a flock of sheep.
Though this trail might be bit windy and relatively more difficult (but not by far!) than the other ones due to the slope, after having gone through all different paths, I think this one is my pick: it is quieter, full of green, and has a more open view.
Even if you start from a different route, you can still change at this spot to see a different view at the ground level or at the top of the downs.
This photo is from my previous trip to Seven Sister in 2014 when my friends and I headed for the beach side. Depending on what you prefer, you get to see the cliffs in a different perspective, both of which are beautiful.
4. Sending a Message Written with White Pebbles
Photo taken by Or Asawawilaswong
This is probably the main reason for visiting Seven Sisters. If you end up at the top of the hills, what you will see after the widely open scenery is a countless number of names and messages made with white pebbles and displayed on the grass.
Because the cliffs are made of chalks they are easy to break down, which has resulted in lots of small white pebbles spreading around the hill. Visitors form their names and/or short messages to their lovers with these pebbles, which give them photogenic shots. As I am Korean and my friend is Thai, we went for it with our respective characters (well, I only made consonants for my name), to be more unique.
5. More Photogenic Snaps of You
Taking good photos can’t go wrong here. There are loads more photos of me and us that turned out rather satisfactory besides these two above, and I am sure you can have more and better photos that would leave you with fun memories.
Hope this post has made you wonder pinning another site on the map of the UK for this summer. If you do make a visit to Seven Sisters, feel free to let me know by commenting how it was. 🙂
Let us enjoy the summer!
The miscellaneous information about the destination:
– From London to Brighton, you can either buy train tickets or use your Oyster card if you have one.
– Thameslink trains run between London and Brighton.
– Between Brighton and Seven Sisters (Country Park), you can take 12, 12X, 13 and 13X. Buses with ‘X’ take less time but they operate less frequently.
– It is said that you can purchase all-day bus tickets at the information centre near the Brighton train station at a cheaper price than when you buy them directly through a bus driver.
– As of the 9th of July 2016, it was 6.50 GBP for a one-day return ticket from a bus driver.
– Getting off the bus stop, you see a cottage where you can take trail maps for free and buy postcards of Seven Sisters. Cash only.
– If you would like to have a picnic at the top of the cliffs/Downs or at the beach, make sure you prepare/buy meals before heading to Seven Sisters. There is no grocery shop in the surrounding area.
