Natural landmarks · South East England
Beachy Head
Also known as: Pentir Beachy
In or near Alfriston.
Britain's highest sea cliff (162 m) on the Sussex coast.
Helmut Zozmann — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1 h–2 h
- Nearest railway station
- Eastbourne · 4.8 km
- Free entry
- Dog-friendly
Getting there & planning your visit
To visit Beachy Head, the nearest railway station is Eastbourne, located 4.8 km away. The postcode for your sat-nav is BN20 7YA. Entry to the site is free.
About
Beachy Head is a chalk headland on the South Downs coast just west of Eastbourne, the highest sea cliff in Britain at 162 metres. The current Beachy Head Lighthouse (1902) stands offshore at the foot of the cliff; the older Belle Tout Lighthouse (1834) sits on top, having been moved 17 metres inland in 1999 to escape erosion. A South Downs National Park beauty spot with sweeping coast walks east to Eastbourne.
Photo gallery
From the Wikipedia article
Beachy Head is a chalk headland in East Sussex, England. It is situated close to Eastbourne, immediately east of the Seven Sisters. Beachy Head is located within the administrative area of Eastbourne Borough Council which owns the land, forming part of the Eastbourne Downland Estate. The cliff is the highest chalk sea cliff in Britain, rising to 162 m (531 ft) above sea level. The peak allows views of the south east coast towards Dungeness in the east, and to the Isle of Wight in the west. LB&SCR H2 class 4-4-2 steam locomotive number 424 (later B424, 2424, and 32424) was named Beachy Head after this landmark.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
The name Beachy Head appears as 'Beauchef' in 1274, becoming 'Beaucheif' by 1317, and it has nothing to do with the word "beach". Instead, it is a corruption of the original French words meaning "beautiful headland" ('). It was regularly called Beachy Head by 1724. In 1929, Eastbourne Borough Council bought 4000 acre of land surrounding Beachy Head to save it from development at a cost of about £100,000 (equivalent to £}} in ). This land became known as the Eastbourne Downland Estate. The prominence of Beachy Head has made it a landmark for sailors in the English Channel. It is noted as such in the sea shanty Spanish Ladies: The ashes of German social scientist and philosopher Friedrich…
Visiting
West from Belle Tout, the cliffs drop down to Birling Gap, then ascend through the Seven Sisters chalk cliffs to Haven Brow, overlooking the Cuckmere valley. The area is a popular tourist attraction. Birling Gap has a restaurant and, in the summer, multiple ice cream vans serve the area. There are many choices of walking routes.
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 50.7325, 0.2470
- County
- East Sussex
- District
- Eastbourne
- Parish
- Eastbourne, unparished area
- Postcode
- BN20 7YA
- Parliamentary constituency
- Eastbourne
- Nearest railway station
- Eastbourne — 4.8 km
Sources
- manual: beachy-head (manual)
- wikipedia: Beachy Head (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Cinematic fly-through
Rendered from Environment Agency LIDAR (OGL v3) using Blender. Drag the timeline to scrub.
3D view
Drag to rotate · scroll to zoom · Copernicus DEM 30m / European Space Agency (CC BY 4.0)
Other places nearby
Beachy Head Lighthouse
Lighthouses · 0.4 km
Beachy Head
Natural landmarks · 0.7 km
Bomber Command Tribute Memorial Beachy Head
Memorials & monuments · 0.9 km
The Beachy Head Story
Museums · 1.0 km
Cow Gap
Viewpoints · 1.3 km
Belle Tout lighthouse
Lighthouses · 2.4 km
Camp near Belle Tout lighthouse, Birling Gap
Vineyards · 2.7 km
Roedean Moira House
Historic houses · 3.2 km
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Seven Sisters
Viewpoints · 3.2 km
Alternative, Old South Downs Way Bridleway Route
Mountain bike trails · 3.3 km
Bardolf's Hall, Birling Manor
Manor houses · 3.5 km
Seven Sisters Sheep Centre
Country parks · 3.6 km
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Beachy Head?
- Beachy Head is in East Sussex, South-East England, United Kingdom (postcode BN20 7YA), in the parish of Eastbourne, unparished area.
- What is Beachy Head?
- Britain's highest sea cliff (162 m) on the Sussex coast.
- How do I get to Beachy Head?
- The nearest railway station is Eastbourne, about 4.8 km away. Drivers can use postcode BN20 7YA.
- Who owns Beachy Head?
- Beachy Head is owned by | designation =.
- Is Beachy Head free to visit?
- Yes, Beachy Head is free to enter.
- How do I get to Beachy Head?
- The nearest railway station is Eastbourne, about 4.8 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode BN20 7YA.