Beyond Brighton
Eastbourne, Beachy Head and the Seven Sisters: the back story
Beyond Brighton
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © PAUL FARMER · CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia CommonsAbout Eastbourne, Beachy Head and the Seven Sisters: the back story
East of Brighton, the chalk meets the sea in the most famous cliffs of the south coast. Seven Sisters Country Park follows the Cuckmere to the sea; the Seven Sisters roll east to Birling Gap (National Trust); Beachy Head rises above Eastbourne, with its red-and-white lighthouse at the foot of the cliffs. Eastbourne is about 40 minutes from Brighton by direct train, and the Coaster buses run along the coast road.
The Cuckmere
Seven Sisters Country Park, at Exceat, follows the meanders of the Cuckmere to Cuckmere Haven.
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Diliff, Papa Lima Whiskey (edit) · CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia CommonsThe cliffs
The Seven Sisters and Beachy Head are unstable chalk: keep well back from the edge. The Beachy Head Experience visitor centre opened on 24 October 2026.
Check opening times and trains on the official sites before you travel.
Eastbourne
Towner Eastbourne shows modern and contemporary art; see townereastbourne.org.uk.
Our advice: take the Coaster out and the train back from Eastbourne.
Why it's on our list
- The Cuckmere
- The cliffs
- Eastbourne
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Eastbourne, Beachy Head and the Seven Sisters: the back story before you go.
What’s nearby
Distances from Eastbourne, Beachy Head and the Seven Sisters: the back story are approximate, measured in a straight line (as the crow flies). Times are approximate too: walking at about 80 metres a minute, cycling at about 15 km/h and driving at typical city-traffic speeds. Traffic and routes vary.
Key sights
- Palace Pier14 miCar or taxi 64 min
- Royal Pavilion14 miCar or taxi 64 min
- Brighton Dome14 miCar or taxi 65 min
- The Lanes14 miCar or taxi 65 min
- The North Laine14 miCar or taxi 65 min
- Brighton i36014 miCar or taxi 67 min
- Hove Lawns15 miCar or taxi 69 min
- Preston Park15 miCar or taxi 70 min
Railway stations
- London Road (Brighton) station14 miCar or taxi 66 min
- Brighton station14 miCar or taxi 66 min
- Preston Park station15 miCar or taxi 70 min
- Hove station15 miCar or taxi 71 min