Beachy Head - the highest chalk cliff in United Kingdom
We had been long wanting to visit Beachy Head which is the highest chalk sea cliff in the UK (It is 530 ft above sea level). And finally managed to visit it this weekend.
Just so you know the name Beachy Head has nothing to do whatsoever with a beach :) Beachy head derives its name from the French words Beauchef (13th Century) and Beaucheif (14th Century) which means ‘beautiful head(land)’.
The cliff faces southward and is subjected to fierce gales and erosion from the sea and that is the reason why the whiteness of the cliffs is seen always as the constant erosion of the old chalk face reveals the clean white chalk underneath.
We began our journey by reaching Brighton from London. From Brighton buses ply every hour to Beachy head. Its an hours journey and takes you through pleasant countryside with views of the sea on one side for most of the journey.
Some of the views on the way to Beachy head.
It was a sunny and clear day and the cliff top provides good panoramic views. To the east we could see the beaches and town of Eastbourne as well as the Eastbourne Pier and the Harbour.
One can enjoy some of the finest walks in Britain in this region. We began our downward climb to the cliff base. The climb down was fun and easy with breath-taking views of the sea and cliff. The cliff has been used in lots of movies and television shows. The one that comes to my mind is the opening sequence in the 1987 James Bond movie "The Living Daylights", where Bond parachutes from a jeep that hurtles down from the top of the cliff. We saw a few parasailers on our visit.
The view from the bottom was also spectacular. Just looking up at the massive cliff makes you marvel at its majestic splendour. Nature at its best. The sea was calm and the few who had dared to climb down were enjoying the cool waters. The water stretched as far as we could see. Couldn't see the horizon and it seemed as though the boats out there were floating in air and not in water.
After spending some time in the water we began the climb up which was more daunting than expected.
Did not feel like heading back home but had to. A must visit if you like to experience the grandeur of nature.
Just so you know the name Beachy Head has nothing to do whatsoever with a beach :) Beachy head derives its name from the French words Beauchef (13th Century) and Beaucheif (14th Century) which means ‘beautiful head(land)’.
The cliff faces southward and is subjected to fierce gales and erosion from the sea and that is the reason why the whiteness of the cliffs is seen always as the constant erosion of the old chalk face reveals the clean white chalk underneath.
We began our journey by reaching Brighton from London. From Brighton buses ply every hour to Beachy head. Its an hours journey and takes you through pleasant countryside with views of the sea on one side for most of the journey.
Some of the views on the way to Beachy head.
It was a sunny and clear day and the cliff top provides good panoramic views. To the east we could see the beaches and town of Eastbourne as well as the Eastbourne Pier and the Harbour.
One can enjoy some of the finest walks in Britain in this region. We began our downward climb to the cliff base. The climb down was fun and easy with breath-taking views of the sea and cliff. The cliff has been used in lots of movies and television shows. The one that comes to my mind is the opening sequence in the 1987 James Bond movie "The Living Daylights", where Bond parachutes from a jeep that hurtles down from the top of the cliff. We saw a few parasailers on our visit.
The view from the bottom was also spectacular. Just looking up at the massive cliff makes you marvel at its majestic splendour. Nature at its best. The sea was calm and the few who had dared to climb down were enjoying the cool waters. The water stretched as far as we could see. Couldn't see the horizon and it seemed as though the boats out there were floating in air and not in water.
After spending some time in the water we began the climb up which was more daunting than expected.
Did not feel like heading back home but had to. A must visit if you like to experience the grandeur of nature.
though could not go through the post :( but pics are really lovely. Hope you guys are doing well. Take care
ReplyDeleteVery beautiful pictures
ReplyDeleteVery beautiful pictures of Beachy Head
ReplyDelete