Seaeas three

Verified Slow Way

Verified by 100.00% of reviewers

An excellent walk along the chalk cliffs.
We walked east to west on a sunny August day, the walk is popular but the path is very wide so there is plenty of space.
The ascents and descents are quite steep, so caution would be needed in wet weather. We found the chalk paths that had been worn by earlier walkers to be crumbly, so in places we moved on to the grass to get extra grip.
Due to luck, the tide was out at Cuckmere River so lots of people were crossing rather than walking via Exceat. I stomped across in leather boots and got some water in them, but this was more comfortable for me than going bare foot over the pebbles, water shoes may be a good option if you want to keep your boots dry, but most people seemed happy to go bare foot.
There is very little shade on the route and few facilities so you should carry sufficient water.
The cliffs are unguarded, so young children and dogs need to be well supervised.

A beautiful route giving you endless views of white cliffs and ocean that also adds a bit of a challenge in the many ascents and descents you'll do! I didn't time this with low tide so had to take the detour inland, but it worked out fine since it was at the beginning of the walk (Seaford to Eastbourne direction) so I wasn't tired yet!

Did this in the summer, so there seemed to be quite a buzz in the area and enough facilities along the way. Be aware that this is quite exposed, so you won't get much shelter in any kind of weather. We went on a very hot day, meaning extra water and a much welcomed ice lolly from a van along the way.

This has to be one of the most iconic walks in England but not recommended if you aren't good with heights. There are some very steep paths and very dangerous drops en route. We walked it the other way from Eastbourne to Seaford and it was very physically demanding. It takes you over the Beachy Head (and the kite flyers there) by the world famous Belle Tout Lighthouse and also over the Seven Sisters cliffs. It finally brings you back down to sea level at the atmospheric and otherworldly Cuckfield Haven.

At Cuckfield Haven you have to careful / clever and consult the tide tables as the Cuckmere River is tidal and sometimes too high to cross. You'll definitely have to get your feet wet unless you take an extra 3k walk up the river and then go into Seaford along the main road. Seaford itself had a great approach with some adventurous steep paths to get down to the flat and accessible sea front. There are great options for pubs and food at Seaford and Eastbourne with a train station at each end. The only other refreshment break is midway at the Birling Gap lighthouse, so make sure you take supplies.

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