Eastbourne Travel Forum

If I arrive by train from London, how could I get to Beachy Head, and how long would it take to get there and also walk along the cliffs (roughly, of course---just to give me an idea of the time involved)? Thanks very much.

Many thanks! Does the same open air conveyance stop at Falling Sands Beach? looks like a lovely place to walk, and no strenuous climbing! I appreciate your help.

I have one of those coloured books put out by the Department of Tourism (available all over the country at Information Centres), and on page 15 there's a pretty coloured photo of Falling Sands beach showing white cliffs and the lighthouse at Beachy Head, so presumably it is the nearest beach to the headland. The text says "Special Places: Unspoilt hideaway beach, Falling Sands, backed by Beachy Head cliffs and Beachy Heady Lighthouse, lives up to its name by boasting half a mile of golden sand at low tide and many rock pools."

Thanks for the tip about the boat ride; sounds great. Not sure when I'll get a chance to visit the area, but it's high on my list of things to do.

I moved from London to Eastbourne about 5 months ago and since then I've been intrigued by the Falling Sands beach and how to get there; it's at the base of Beachy Head behind the old Sovereign lighthouse. I'd assumed it was impossible to get to but was really pleased to discover that there are actually steps leading down to Cow Gap which is just to the east of Falling Sands. These steps can be reached either by walking along the cliff top path which starts at Holywell (there are two, if you're going west the first path, which can be hard to find and has a barrier accross it, is the one to follow, the other one which is next to the cafe is the official start of the South Downs Way) or you can walk from Beachy Head itself, down to the steps but this looks pretty scary! I haven't done the walk yet due to a bad back; it's a strenuous and potentially dangerous walk whichever way you go but I'm going to do it pretty soon. The Alchorn Brothers boat has only been running sporadically this year due to the weather but I went on it at the weekend and really enjoyed it. We made it as far as the lighthouse before the current drove us back to Eastbourne but it was an ideal way of seeing the route you need to walk and the steps down to the shore. I still haven't seen the Falling Sands beach but it looks idyllic and I hope to get there within the next week or so.

Go to http://www.riverocean.org.uk/ocean/webwalks/Beachy%20Head.html where you'll find a detailed guide to the walk and everything you need to know. Let me know how you get on. I'm sure the walk is well worth it!

Wow, sounds great. Thanks for the reply. Makes me want to see the beach more than ever. Please let us know how it was when you do manage to get there!

I have to admit after reading the descriptions of the paths I was a bit worried about how stable the stairs were, given the propensity of these cliffs to crumble---which is why the beach is called Falling Sands, after all. I might just be satisfied with seeing the place from the boat. Thanks again.