WALK REPORT Photos from our most recent visit to Seaford and the White Cliffs of the Seven Sisters last Saturday. This time out it was just me and Joe, Dorry‘s brother. The day was crystal clear and we came home sunburnt – not bad for mid-autumn at latitude 50° North. 33 shots in this set. As always, your comments are welcome. Thanks! — DW [walk profile]

Joe and I were both pretty hung over from a late night out on Friday, so our first stop on arriving in Seaford was this pastry shop, to grab some breakfast. Very friendly proprietor!

Me lying on the beach at Seaford. The bandaged left arm is because I crashed my bike into a wall in West London while coming home from a gig the night before (I Blame Coco!), dislocating my knee and gouging both arms in the process. So we started the walk gently, with a picnic on the warm pebble beach. Photo by Joe Spikes.

Joe enjoying his “Full English Breakfast” pasty. True to its name, it contained sausages, bacon, baked beans and a fried egg. That cliff in the distance is Seaford Head, where we’re going.

But first we have to walk along the promenade that runs the length of the sea front at Seaford. Check out the funky car.

More pics of the promenade. This is a Martello tower, one of a series of small forts built around England’s southern and eastern coasts in the 19th Century to defend against attacks by sea.

Baywatch, Seaford stylee.

A girl on the beach.

Now we’ve reached the beginning of the chalk cliffs on the eastern end of the promenade at Seaford. Thousands of people have carved their names and initials into the soft chalk of the cliffs here.

And this is the view if you take a step back. Looking east towards Seaford Head.

Climbing the cliff path outside Seaford.

Joe on the cliff path.

Mushroom sighting! We found this tiny puffball on the clifftop path near Hope Gap.

You get a good view of the Seven Sisters cliffs from the beach at Hope Gap. Note the sign warning of rockfalls – that chalk is crumbly!

If you saw this sign for the first time, what would you think it meant?

This is what it’s actually referring to. Heavy equipment being used to shore up the beach at Cuckmere Haven.

A kayak training session on the River Cuckmere at Exceat.

Somebody told me this was Virginia creeper but having looked up its distribution (North America, mostly), I’m not so sure. If you know, tell me! Taken at Exceat Farmhouse.

Inside All Saints chapel in the tiny village of West Dean. I’ve been reliably informed that the embroidery on the green altar frontal is a Trinity Star. It was donated to the church by two parishioners and made its first appearance in 1936. Thank you Jennifer!

Dew on a plant in Friston Forest. I think this is Stachys byzantina, commonly known as Lamb’s Ear or Lamb’s Tongue. But if anyone begs to differ, please do so. Thank you for the ID, Sue!

I also need help identifying this spider.

Friston Church as seen through the swing gate. The footpath cuts through the churchyard here.

Joe again. This is the view down the path to East Dean village. The light is starting to get really good now.

A Camellia on the wall outside the Tiger Inn pub in East Dean village.

After a pit-stop at the Tiger Inn, we headed back west to the sea. This is the road that leads down to the cliffs near Crowlink. Cows ahead in the distance.

The low sun made for perfect silhouettes. Here’s one closer up. It’s a Hereford, a beef cow.

Closer still. Happily grazing away and not taking any notice of me.

Some flowering fuchsias on the path, backlit by the setting sun.

We’re past the little farming settlement of Crowlink now – approaching the Seven Sisters.

Cliff edge. Joe watching the sun go down over the English Channel.

The white chalk of the cliffs looks a very warm red in this evening light.

A couple watching the sunset from the cliffs at Rough Bottom. Time to head back to Seaford and catch the train home to London.

We met some girls on the train back. They were all heading out for a friend’s 18th birthday party in Brighton, and were determined to have a good time. I gave them some chocolate biscuits left over from our picnic.

I think they liked the biscuits. Happy Birthday Ria!

If you’d like to join me next time I do this route, check here for details on dates.

Thanks for reading! Leave a comment if you’d like.

— DW