And finally. . . links and other information

Now it's your turn . . .

For more information on the South Downs Way and the UK's other long distance paths, http://www.nationaltrail.co.uk

We found the Ordnance Survey's 'get a map' service very useful for planning individual sections. A year's subscription costs just under £20 and allows you to print at home as many maps as you like. You can plot routes and the software measures the distance, draws an elevation plot, and even produces GPS coordinates if you want them.

We used the Trailblazer guide book, bought from Amazon at a substantial discount. Packed with useful information, whether you do it as day walks as we did, or if you need accommodation in route.

We absolutely loved the Mirabelle restaurant at the Grand Hotel Eastbourne - perfect for the celebratory meal afterwards, though not in your walking gear!  Suit or tie required for men.  Pricey but fab-u-lous.

Day 11 - Celebration Day!

We decided that we would celebrate the end of our walk with lunch at the Mirabelle restaurant at the Grand Hotel Eastbourne.  So we got all dressed up and went back down to Eastbourne by train.  Thanks to Glynis' colleagues at East Sussex for the Grand Hotel voucher in her leaving card.






The surroundings, food and service were all absolutely superb.

It was so good that we have decided any future long distance walks should be celebrated in a similar way!

Day 10 - Exceat to Eastbourne, 7.5m, 4h

 We chose the coastal route over the inland route which meant that this leg was always going to be the biggest challenge because Glynis does not like heights and can find cliff paths difficult.  Most people we had spoken to said it would be OK and one couple described the path over the Seven Sisters as a 'motorway'.  We wanted a fine day with very light winds for this leg and having waited over a week, 3 came along at once in the weekend forecast. We decided to go for the final leg on the first of these Saturday 5th October.

Once again there is an easy way along the Cuckmere, but the South Downs Way goes over a ridge to arrive in the same place!

 

 

 





 But there is compensation for the climb, this superb view over Cuckmere Haven to Seaford Head.

 

 

 

And then we turned the corner along what the guidebook describes as the rollercoaster of the Seven Sisters.  Fortunately the promised walkers motorway is there and there is no need to go anywhere near the cliff edge.  The views are along the coast are still stunning.

  

 

 

 

 When you get to Sister number 5 there is a monument to the man who gave the Crowlink estate to the Sevens Sisters Country Park. One of a number of memorials along the way. 

 

 

 

 One interesting fact about the Seven Sisters is that whoever named them can't count because there are actually 8.  Sister 6 got missed out. So having climbed over all 8 we made our way down to Birling Gap, famed for getting steadily smaller as parts of it fall into the sea.

 

 

 

 

SIGN OF THE DAY - What could possibly go wrong . . . ?

 

 

 We treated ourselves to the bacon special at the National Trust Tea Room at Birling Gap (bacon roll and a cup of tea - they even managed fruit tea for Glynis) and then set off up the hill towards Belle Tout lighthouse. The view below looks back to Birling Gap.

 

 

 

 Belle Tout Lighthouse was also in danger of falling into the sea so some years ago it was moved back 55 feet from the cliff.  It is beginning to look as if they might need to repeat the operation in the not too far distant future as the cliffs continue to erode.

 

 

 

 

 After Belle Tout, the path goes down to Shooters Bottom where the cliff edge is getting  close to the road as well!  From just below Belle Tout we could see the classic view of the Beachy Head lighthouse at the bottom of the cliff.  Like Belle Tout, it is no longer an operational light but it does have it's very own preservation society.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The climb up to Beachy Head is not very steep but it is quite long.  Here is the view from the top.

 

Quite unexpectedly at the view point Pete found a new Bomber Command Memorial.  Glynis viewed it from a distance having decided not to go right to the edge.

From the view point the South Downs Way narrows to a single file path and goes along a very steep slope.  Glynis didn't enjoy the decent to Eastbourne until we re joined a much wider path part way down.
 

 

 

 And finally here we are at the signpost at the end (not quite on our last legs at the end of the last leg!)  Before setting off home we had a celebratory drink at the café you can see in the photo (non alcoholic of course, we were both driving).