I think today’s one has to be in my top 3 ” where you can get the train easily,walk miles, see the sea ,cliffs ,2 lighthouses , rolling hills and end it with a glass of chilled white in a little bar right on the beach” walks ( without leaving the country.)
If you fancy doing it , its a train to Seaford ( deserted), a walk up a huge cliff ( absolutely NO talking at this point – got to check I can still breath ), fantastic, beautiful ,stunning stroll along eroding cliff top ( top-tip…don’t go near edge ) with ‘The Seven Sisters’ in your sight at all times ( unless you’ve ignored my top-tip and in that case you’ll be in The English Channel ,awaiting the emergency services ).Clamber down rocks onto the beach at Cuckmere Haven. IMPERATIVE – have huge picnic – you know you need those carbs. Walk up the river to Seven Sisters Visitor centre,( avoiding the welcome sign to The Golden Galleon Pub ) ,quicken your pace, not just cos you’re busting for the loo, but because The 13X bus only runs once an hour and there’s 3 minutes til it arrives. Bus arrives on time, no time to find the toilet , so get on bus in a clammy hot sweat ,trying not to do big strides, laugh or sneeze. Ask helpful, friendly bus driver to tell you where to get off for Beachy Head . This he dutifully does. Get off where he tells you, cross road, find bush. After emerging from bush ( no longer sweating and able to take proper strides ), curse the day the happy, helpful bus driver was born , as he’s told you to get off 2 bus-stops early and so we are faced with a hill the size of Kilimanjaro ,and have at least Three very steep Sisters, left to walk. Oxygen is getting thin , so save energy by not talking and plan in head what to have at the Beachcomber bar ( also avoid taking down numbers of The Samaritans – I think they are there for people who are suicidal – not just cross with The Bus driver ). Eventually hit the downhill run – compare it to something you’ve seen on ‘Ski Sunday’.
Get to BC bar , order, sit , sip ….and my final top tip – don’t take your walking shoes off( unless there are no seats left and you want to clear a space ), cos you’ll never get them back on again .