Hand held panorama taken from Beachy Head at the end of a walk over Seven Sisters which had started at Seaford. By the time we got to Beachy Head the weather had closed in and it was very windy and cold. This virtual tour was taken in early July 2012.

Beachy Head - Eastbourne visitor guide showing a virtual tour of 'Beachy Head' linked to an interactive map with local and travel information. 360° panoramas from East Sussex.

Beachy Head is a famous chalk headland in East Sussex, just west of Eastbourne. The cliff is the highest coastal cliff in Britain, rising to about 162m. It is famous both for the unparalleled panoramic views over East Sussex and the coast, but also as a notorious suicide spot. These things combine to make Beachy Head a popular tourist attraction near Eastbourne.

Beachy Head lies within the South Downs National Park, which covers 628 square miles of land both along the coast and inland over the Western Weald. The cliffs are continually eroding at around 40cm a year, mostly through large landslides every few years.

Beachy Head Lighthouse

On the rocks below Beach Head stands the Beach Head Lighthouse, which can best be seen from West Brow, another cliff to the east. The current, red and white striped lighthouse was built in 1902 and stands 43m high. It is located 165m seawards of the cliffs and was permanently manned for 80 until it was fully automated in 1983. This replaced the earlier Belle Tout Lighthouse which stands on top of the cliffs, but whose light is often obscured by sea mist.

Walking the South Downs Way

The South Downs are popular with walkers, especially during the summer months. One of the most popular walks starts at Seaford and passes over the famous Seven Sisters and passing Belle Tout Lighthouse before the final ascent to Beachy Head and descent to end at Eastbourne. On the way walkers can get access to the beach near Seaford at Hope Gap and also at Cuckmere Haven. Here the walk diverts inland to the Exceat Bridge to cross the Cuckmere River before entering Seven Sisters Country Park and heading back out to the coast and over the Seven Sisters. At the eastern end of the Seven Sisters is the Birling Gap which has a bar, tea shop and access to the beach down the cliffs.

This is a 13 mile long walk, always exposed to the elements with little shelter and graded 9/10 for the steep inclines and general lack of flat terrain. Most people will walk eastwards to keep the prevailing winds to their backs.

Bus: Beach Head (13X)
Road: Beachy Head is 4.7 miles from central Eastbourne. Eastbourne is about 17 miles west of Hastings (A259) and 22 miles east of Brighton (A259). It is 70 miles south of London (A22).
Train: Eastbourne Station with links to London.
Walk: South Downs Way