Length: 20km (12.4 miles) to either Seaford or Birling Gap, with shorter option of 14km (8.7 miles) ending at Exceat T=swc.90
9.54 train from Victoria (10.01 Clapham Junction, 10.10 East Croydon) to Lewes, arriving 10.56, changing there for the 11.14 (Eastbourne-bound) train to Berwick, arriving 11.25.
Best ticket: a day return to Seaford should also be accepted outbound between Lewes and Berwick, unless the ticket inspector is having a bad day...
This lovely walk across the South Downs to the sea often gets an early spring outing (the last one in March was blocked by massive floods...), but it is an astonishing SEVEN YEARS since it last had a summer Saturday one.
For lunch, the Giant's Rest in Wilmington has reopened as the Long Man Inn, and is rather temptingly situated just 2.8 miles into the walk. But you have the crossing of the downland ridge past the Long Man of Wilmington chalk figure to come, so it might be better to keep your stomach waiting till Alfriston, 5.4 miles into the walk, which has numerous lunch options, including the George Inn with its lovely garden.
In the afternoon, after the climb over High & Over Hill, with mouthwatering views, you come to Exceat, where the Cuckmere Inn is a refreshment stop.
After Exceat, you have a choice:
- End the walk here after 8.7 miles. But note that to catch the very frequent number 12 bus to Seaford, you now have to walk 400 metres along the main road (there is a pavement) to the Seven Sisters Visitor Centre stop.
- Otherwise the standard ending of the walk takes you down to the west side of Cuckmere Haven, and then over Seaford Head to Seaford. You can swim on this side of Cuckmere Haven, but only till about 3.30pm: after that the tide will be too low (low tide 6.30pm). Swimming at Seaford is possible at all states of the tide. There are lots of tea and pub options in Seaford, but the seafront tea kiosk just before the Martello Tower is a nice spot if the sun is shining.
- Better for swimming at Cuckmere Haven, is to go down the east side of the river. The central part of the beach here generally permits swimming even when the tide is quite low (there is a large sandy-bottomed area offshore from the centre of the beach). You could walk back to the main road and get the number 12 bus after your swim, or do the rest of the alternative option below.
- The alternative ending from Exceat, no longer, but much more strenuous, is to carry on over the Seven Sisters (all eight of them!) to Birling Gap. The bus service here is now much improved, with departures at 17.21, 18.20 and 19.17 to Seaford (21 minutes). There are also buses at 17.06 18.05 and 19.05 to Eastbourne, but these take 26 minutes and don't really give you any advantage, apart from a scenic ride over Beachy Head. You would also need to buy a train ticket from Eastbourne to Lewes.
If you miss the last bus at Birling Gap walk the extra 1.2 miles inland to East Dean, from where number 12 buses run all evening to both Seaford and Eastbourne. The Tiger Inn here is also a wonderful pub stop. You can also do a map-led shortcut to East Dean by taking the path inland from Flagstaff Point, the fifth "Sister", to Friston (also on the number 12 bus route) or East Dean
Trains back from Seaford are at 24 and 53 past, changing at Lewes.
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17 at the start of this walk, including one who was fetched from a pub, with a further car driver materialising at some point to make N=18 in all. Weather: w=cloud-clearing-to-sun.
A very flowery and at times slighty overgrown walk across the fields to start. (Whoever is responsible for maintaining the Wealdway needs to have a session with the strimmer). It was a relief to escape from all this encroaching foliage onto the relative openness of the Downs, the close-up view of the Long Man being as delightful as ever.
About half the group seemed to do the more strenuous route up and around the Long Man, so the group fragmented a bit at this point. Those who took the easier route enjoyed lovely downland flowers - birdsfoot trefoil, thyme, dropwort, hawkbits etc - and got to the George Inn earlier.
Initially we only had a table for three in the garden, but by judicious muscling-in on other people’s tables we secured space for most of the group. It is always a joy to eat in this idyllic pub, with its interesting menu.
After lunch, at least half the group climbed High & Over Hill (maybe the other half did too, but I didn’t see them). Two walked along the river all the way to Exceat due to a navigational error. Those of us who climbed the hill had a very pleasant sit-down at the top, enjoying the fine view.
All this meant we didn’t get to the Cuckmere Inn in Exceat til nearly 5pm. I am not sure whether any got the bus from here, and I know of only two for sure who walked to Seaford, though I am sure more did.
Five of us headed down the east side of the river to try for a swim. In the event four got kitted up, but two were swiftly put off by the challenge of wading 100 metres out over somewhat rocky ground covered by shallow muddy water to the sea proper.
The two who persisted got to pleasant surf, which was a very nice temperature (really surprisingly warm), but distinctly (even alarmingly) brown. The views of the Seven Sisters were magnificent, however.
One went to get the bus here, one had gone on ahead to East Dean (via Birling Gap) and the remaining three of us did five of the eight Seven Sisters (yes, there are eight!) in glorious evening sunlight with barely any other walkers in sight. The only jarring note was seeing how heavily eroded the path is getting in places due to over-tourism.
From the fifth Sister, Flagstaff Point, we took a direct route inland to the Tiger Inn in East Dean. The walker who had gone on ahead was tucking into dinner here, lucky fellow. The rest of us had to content ourselves with drinks and salty snacks.
We got the 8.48 bus to Seaford (two of us fortified by the wares of a passing bicycle ice cream vendor) and then did our best to source dinner for the train (Pizza place too busy, fish and chip shop closed...) We consumed this on the 9.24 train, along with a bottle or two of Chateau Tesco, congratulating ourselves that we had made full use of one of the longest days of the year.
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