Tourism

The Sussex heritage site that everyone should see.

Cast an eye at the picture in this article and this might seem familiar even if you've never visited it before. This is because it tends to double for the White Cliffs of Dover whenever it turns up in films, something it seems to do quite a lot. Its featured in Kevin Costner's Robin Hood Prince of Thieves film, Harry Potter, the Keira Knightley film Atonement, Ian Mckellen's Sherlock Holmes and many others. As you approach by car and start to walk its cliff edge you quickly realize why its such a big draw for visitors.

The Seven Sisters cliffs, better know as Beachy Head (after its most prominent cliff) is just an hour and 15 mins drive from Grays town center, this heritage site has the distinction of being unspoiled and offers amazing views of the channel (you can't see France though). Its clearly as big a draw from an international perspective as any of London's top attractions, any walk along the cliff top means you pass scores of tourists from every county from Japan to the States.

The Seven Sisters consist of seven cliff tops (an eighth is apparently being formed though quickening erosion) but the most famous is Beachy Head. Sadly its fame is linked to the number of suicides taking place there on an annual basis, so much so that the local council have even erected a sign near the cliff's edge with the Samaritans contact details on and a plea not to do it..

As you pull up to the visitor car park you will probably note how busy it is, even out of season the car park fills up very quickly on weekends. There is a thoughtful and much needed visitor center there ready to supply you with a pre-walk caffeine fix as well as the usual National Trust shop ready to sell you over priced jam and dish towels, but its still pleasant to walk around it before setting off. The walk itself is not that demanding for the seasoned walker but it can get very steep in places and will clearly be too demanding to do the whole seven cliffs for most people. But its one of the most rewarding walks you will take in the UK as on clear days you have stunning views of the channel, fresh sea air and if you're feeling daring a view down to the beach far far below, but don't get to close to the edge as it is soft chalk your standing on and it is slowly crumbling.

Postcode: BN20 0AB (National Trust - Birling Gap) - be aware that as you go through Tonbridge, you will need to take the backroads as you may get stuck in traffic

More information: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/birling-gap-and-the-seven-sisters