Seven Sisters Cliffs & South Downs Day Trip from London by Train

Devil's Dyke and the views over the Weald

Devil's Dyke is a huge, steep-sided valley cut into the South Downs, often described as the longest, deepest and widest dry valley in the country. From the ridge you can look out across the low-lying Weald of Sussex, and on a clear day the view stretches for miles. The valley formed at the end of the last Ice Age, when meltwater cut through the chalk.

The name comes from a legend that the Devil dug the trench to flood the churches of the Weald, until a woman with a candle woke the roosters and he fled, thinking that it was dawn. Your guide tells the story and explains how the landscape was shaped over thousands of years. We allow about twenty minutes here for a short walk and photographs, and it is one of the best viewpoints inland from Brighton.

Middle Farm, Alfriston and the Long Man of Wilmington

Our lunch stop is normally Middle Farm, a working farm with a shop and tea rooms that serve light lunches, snacks, coffee and tea. If the farm is very busy, we stop instead in the nearby village of Alfriston, an old Sussex village with timber-framed houses and a river. Lunch is paid for on your own account.

Continuing along quiet country lanes, we make a short stop to see the Long Man of Wilmington, a huge figure of a man cut into the chalk of Windover Hill, roughly 70 metres tall. It is the largest human figure in Britain, and its age is debated, although archaeologists have suggested that it may date from the 16th or 17th century. Views from the road show the hillside in a dramatic setting.

Beachy Head and Birling Gap

Beachy Head is the highest chalk sea cliff in Britain, rising to about 162 metres near Eastbourne. On the guided walk you follow the cliff edge with wide views of the English Channel, the red-and-white lighthouse at the foot of the cliff and the rolling grass of the Downs. Weather can be windy, and you should wear sturdy shoes and follow your guide's advice near the edge.

Birling Gap is a break in the cliffs where you can see the results of coastal erosion at close hand. The chalk is worn away by the sea and weather, and the coastline changes year by year. It is a good place to understand why the Seven Sisters cliffs look the way they do, and a favourite for photographs of the white chalk against the blue water.

The Seven Sisters and Seaford Head

The Seven Sisters are a chain of white chalk cliffs along the Sussex coast, cut by dry valleys and pointing out to sea like waves frozen in stone. They lie within Seven Sisters Country Park and are one of the most photographed landscapes in southern England. From Seaford Head, our final walking stop, you get the classic view of the cliffs with the meandering river below.

The walk at Seaford Head lasts about 40 minutes along country paths, so wear comfortable shoes and bring water. It is the highlight of the day and answers the question of where to see the Seven Sisters from London, since the train-and-minibus combination is more convenient than driving. We then return to Brighton and take the train back to central London.