Walk from Eastbourne to Beachy Head lighthouse
In my last post where we stayed at Port Hotel in Eastbourne, I mentioned Beachy Head Lighthouse — a fantastic red and white lighthouse that stands proud in the sea just metres away from the glistening white cliffs of Beachy Head. If you’re in Eastbourne, you mustn’t miss it — it’s such an impressive sight and a quintessential lighthouse you rarely get to see these days. Plus, it’s in easy walking distance from Eastbourne so makes for a great morning or afternoon adventure. In this post, I thought I’d share a few more details of how to get to Beachy Head Lighthouse, the best view, and where to stop for a drink…
The walk from Eastbourne is lovely, with coastal views all the way and a bit of a hill to get your heart racing! As you’re at the seaside, fish and chips are pretty much obligatory, so if you are starting in Eastbourne like we did, fuel up for the walk with lunch on the pebbles. I did a little research and found that Qualisea have the best ratings around here! We weren’t disappointed…
Fuelled up and ready to stomp, head east along the promenade, past the pier if you haven’t already past it in the direction of the hill — yep, you’re going up it! Keep to the path with the sea on your left and you can’t really go wrong. Chances are you won’t be the only one heading up to Beachy Head!
When the footpaths fork there are a few different routes you can take. They all end up in the same place, so it’s up to you whether you want to walk on higher ground or slightly inland. For the best views on the approach to Beachy Head Lighthouse, keep on the path that’s closest to the coast — it’s the lowest of the paths and as you curve round Head Ledge, you get a brilliant side-on view of the lighthouse in all it’s glory, set against the towering white cliffs. The only downside of this route is the steep grassy slope up to the top of the hill, but it’s short and sweet — promise!
With salt and extra vinegar, always.
From here, the lighthouse looks small and far off but you can get right up close and pretty much hover above it as you keep walking along the grassy path on the headland. As you peer over the edge of the cliffs, the lighthouse is right below you. Be extra careful on the cliffs here — everyone wants a good picture but there’s no fencing and it’s a sheer drop so don’t be stupid!
When you’ve admired the lighthouse as much as you need to, you can keep walking along the grassy paths, all the way to Belle Tout (a less photogenic lighthouse!) and Birling Gap. If you’re feeling really adventurous, you could even walk all the way to Cuckmere Haven — another beauty spot on the Sussex coast with towering white cliffs — where you can swim in the meandering Cuckmere river. It’s a gorgeous wild swimming spot, with chalky banks and a calm current.
Otherwise, head back on yourself, and follow the path all the way back into Eastbourne. You can take one of the different footpaths to mix it up, and I’d definitely recommend a pitstop at The Beachy Head — a large and well located pub with a lovely beer garden. We saw some delicious looking Sunday roasts on other tables. It gets busy though so it might be worth booking a table so you’re not disappointed.
Finally, if you’re short on time or don’t fancy walking quite as far, you can drive pretty close to Beachy Head Lighthouse. There are several pay and display car parks along Beachy Head Road, which will save you walking up the hill!
Looking for more to read?
