British white cliffs is a trademark. “Albion” – an alternative and a little bit archaic name for Great Britain, was given precisely due to the white cliffs on the coast of Dover. However, Dover is far from being the only place, which can boast with these breathtaking sceneries, and probably the most iconic cliffs can be found on the south coast of the national park South Downs – the Seven Sisters.

The Seven Sisters is one of the most recognizable views of England, and considering its proximity to the capital, is a perfect destination for a nature day out of London for the hiker lovers, and there are many of them in Great Britain. So, on a sunny September day shortly after we moved to London, we took a car to see the place, where Robbie and Cecile from the “Atonement” planned to finish their days once the World War II is over.

The best spot to start the walk would be Seven Sisters Country Park, but we made a mistake of going right in the middle of the whole walking pass – straight to the Birling Gap, situated around three miles further to the east from the ideal departure point. That meant that we would have to walk double distance if we had gone to either of the viewpoints on foot, that’s why we decided to park the car at the Birling Gap and walk to the Beachy Head and back.

At that time we were new in South England, but during our life up North we were lucky to see some magnificent places like Lake District, Northumberland with the Farne Islands and North York Moors, but what we saw there jumped directly to the top of our favorites list. Yes, the view was THAT gorgeous. As it was our first encounter with these iconic white cliffs, it was double breathtaking, so even French cliffs in Etretat couldn’t beat that a year later.

Everything was so beautiful that we just stayed on the beach, strolling in the water trying our best not to fall on the slippery stones and regretting bitterly leaving our swimming suits in the car, even though not everyone saw this nuisance  as an obstacle (if you know what I mean).

This kind of views can keep one hypnotized for hours, that’s why even if the walk doesn’t look long, one can easily spend there a day. Once we were back to the car, we couldn’t resist driving to Brighton for a proper lunch and some beach time before the true autumn arrived.

Check out: Our ultimate list for a day in Brighton

However, we didn’t want to admit our fail in following the right itinerary and a year later during the abnormally hot July we came back to see the Beachy Head from another side and finally drove to the Seven Sisters Country Park. Even if it was getting dark, we fully enjoyed the view, the evening chill and the atmosphere of the lonely cottages and sheep peacefully chewing on the yellow-green valleys. Also, I had a very urging need to take a photo on that bench with a view.

If you decide on visiting the Seven Sisters, treat it like a proper hiking day. Wear comfortable shoes, bring some water and get yourself ready to a day of walking as the distance from the Visitor Center to the Beachy Head is 8 km, so with all pauses and stops it will take a while.

The information about the trails and walking paths can be found on the official site of Seven Sisters Country Park, and the leaflet with the map and trails is attached to this link. Here you can find out more about the South Downs National Park and activities it offers.

As I mentioned in the introduction, the Seven Sisters cliffs immediately took their place among our favorite spots of England, so if you look for ideas for a peaceful nature escape, you should definitely go there at least once.