After leaving York we travelled to Brighton. We had reservations to stay in this seaside town for our last three nights. It proved to be a good base from which to visit other places we wanted to see before leaving out of Southampton. Our place in the Lake District was an apartment, but in Brighton we had a hotel room. It was fine and it included a daily breakfast that fortified us for our morning.
Brighton is a busy seaside town in contrast to where we had been previously. It was a Bank Holiday weekend and we definitely saw crowds of people and traffic. Brighton is on the English Channel and is popular with locals.
Our hotel was across the street from the famous Brighton Pier.
I think you will enjoy today as we have great plans ahead. After getting dressed, I opened the blinds to look at the lovely sea and the beautiful day awaiting us. We go down to breakfast and enjoy a lovely view of the English Channel and the Brighton Pier.
After getting the car out of the car park, we're heading east down the coast to Birling Gap. We pass by a beautiful windmill! We were told there are many in this area.
As we travel along the coast we spot the chalk cliffs!
Before we reach Birling Gap we see this thatched roof home--so lovely.
We're almost to Birling Gap--Home of the famous Seven Sisters! Let's park the car and take a look around. I am speechless!
Birling Gap is owned and cared for by the National Trust. Birling Gap and the surrounding cliffs have been changing for many thousands of years. The land here was originally joined to France until sea levels rose and the English Channel formed. The waves and wind created cliffs by erosion.
We are standing at the top of a set of huge metal stairs. I can't believe the beauty of these chalk cliffs! We learn that erosion is continuing today and the cliffs are receding by 70cm each year! Some years nothing happens and then some years several meters of cliff fall!
We were told that as sea levels rise and storms come, the rate of erosion will increase and the car park and the information building will be lost.
Let's walk down the stairs to the beach. Be careful as it's windy and we don't want to fall!
Can you believe how enormous these cliffs are? The beach is full of smooth pebbles and is quite different from our beaches of sand. I understand there are fossils among the rocks. It's quite hard to negotiate the beach walking on thousands of pebbles.
After going into the information center we learn that there really are Eight Sisters! We would have to go into the English Channel to view them.
We need to move on as there is much more to see in this area. So we get back into the car and travel to see more beauty.
We come to the Belle Tout lighthouse that is now a bed and breakfast. Wouldn't it be wonderful to stay here? This lighthouse was built in 1832 and decommissioned in 1902 and has been a tea shop and a home and partly destroyed in WWII. It's also been moved due to erosion of the cliffs.
 |
| Belle Tout Lighthouse |
Just a few yards down the cliffs is the Beachy Head Lighthouse.
 |
| Beachy Head Lighthouse |
This is a view of Beachy Head Lighthouse from the Cliffs. This photo was scary to take! The Beachy Head Lighthouse was opened in 1902. It stands at 141 feet. Three lighthouse keepers manned the light until it was automated in 1983.
The beauty of this area is breathtaking! I'm so happy we have come to see the Seven Sister's or is it Eight? ♥
Wonderful photos! I enjoyed seeing them as this is an area where we have been.
ReplyDeleteDotsie, I was in awe of the beauty here. I wonder how many feet of the cliffs have fallen to the sea since your visit. ♥
DeleteThis was very interesting. I had no idea that France and England were once joined! And those cliffs really are very high.
ReplyDeleteCathy, I'm glad you can tell how high these cliffs were--beautiful and scary at the same time! ♥
DeleteI guess I don't find the cliffs as scary as you do because I live with cliffs of about 60' high, and even up to 400' high in places, but find them stunning in the stark whiteness of the chalk. I tell you, Martha Ellen, I would not want to live anywhere near them given the rate of erosion ~ how scary that must be to live even a few hundred yards away.
ReplyDeleteI especially love the picture with the helter~skelter and merry~go~round in it, so evocative of a British seaside in Summer!
Deb, I tell you the cliffs were just magnificent to see--all brilliant and imposing. In America we have cliffs, but not the chalk ones as in Birling Gap. That's what so wonderful about traveling--so many new and wonderful things to see and experience! ♥
DeleteOh, and I just remembered ~~~ I still need to share with you the scary story of the local light house tragedy ~~~ saving it for Hallowe'en! {ghostly, scary, echoing laughter here}
DeleteI'm looking forward to your tale about the lighthouse, Deb! I do love a good lighthouse story. ♥
DeleteStunningly beautiful!! I cannot imagine how grand these were to see in person!
ReplyDelete(What am I going to do when "our" trip to England is over? I am enjoying our travels and learning so much!) :)
I know, Cheryl, I don't know if I can say goodbye to England again. Thank you for coming along with me! ♥
DeleteWhat a lovely drive past old windmills, beautiful thatched roof homes, and historic lighthouses! The chalk cliffs of the Seven Sisters are just magnificent, Martha Ellen. It's scary to hear how quickly they are eroding each year. Since we live in the Midwest, I've always been intrigued by the important work and charm of lighthouses along the ocean shores. I always wish I could peek inside! Just imagine a tea room in a historic lighthouse... Thank you for such a wonderful day of exploring! I really won't want to leave England... ♡Dawn@Petals.Paper.SimpleThymes
ReplyDeleteThank you, Dawn. I love lighthouses! My dear sister, Susan and I shared a love of lighthouses! We have been to just about all of the lighthouses up and down the east coast. One time we even stayed in one on the Chesapeake Bay--it was wonderful! About one month before Susan passed away, she and I and Grayden climbed the Assateague Lighthouse. Lighthouses always make me think of my dear sister.
DeleteThank you again for joining me on our adventure to beautiful England, Dawn! ♥
Oh, Martha Ellen! Thank you so much for sharing your story with me. You have so many wonderful memories of visiting lighthouses with Susan. Do you have any small lighthouses at home? A small collection of lighthouses would be so lovely! Remembering your beloved sister with great affection...
ReplyDeleteBig hugs! ♡Dawn@Petals.Paper.SimpleThymes
Dawn, unfortunately my lighthouse collection is not small, but large! Every lighthouse that I have visited, I've bought small replicas. I also own Cat's Meow lighthouses of favorites we've visited. My sister is never far from my thoughts...Thank you for your sweet comments. ♥
DeleteWhat absolute treasures, dear Martha Ellen! Hope you will share your special lighthouses in a blog post some day. Your collection is such a lovely tribute to Susan... as her 'light' shines on forever! Love you!
ReplyDelete♡ Dawn@Petals.Paper.SimpleThymes
Thank you, dear Dawn. I've shared a few in a post way back about what to do with Cat's Meow. If you go http://thejoyofhomewithmarthaellen.blogspot.com/2015/01/collections_17.html you can see some of them. Maybe I should share more of my lighthouses in the future. I love what you said about her light shining on forever! xo ♥
Delete" There'll be blue birds over, the white cliffs of Dover."Every time I see these in a movie, I tell hubs, Those cliffs must be seen in person! One of your commenters below is so correct, we must use YOU as a travelogue for trips to England. I love your photos, I can almost feel that cool sea breeze. What a grand trip you had!
ReplyDeleteYes, Jeri!!! These cliffs are something to behold! England left me speechless at times and this was one of those times. Thank you for the compliment---I love sharing this trip with you and I'm loving reliving it! ♥
DeleteThe beach is so lovely, Martha Ellen. It's been awhile since I've been to the ocean, so I enjoyed these pictures today. And I noticed that carousel in the background. Reminds me of when my kids used to go on the carousel when they were little. They used to love it. You sure had a fantastic time in England visiting many interesting places.
ReplyDelete~Sheri
Sheri, we were able to see quite a variety of places in England. Just like America, there were differences in each geographical area. My children also enjoyed carousels as children--it doesn't seem that long ago! ♥
DeleteFor some reason all I remember from Brighton is a Punch and Jody puppet show on the boardwalk :-)
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed this tour very much.
Amalia
xo
We didn't spend much time in Brighton, Amalia. We just spent the nights there. I'm glad you have been coming along with me. ♥
DeleteThank goodness for global warming or France might be part of England and we wouldn't have had all the glorious battles between the two! ;-) I love those chalk cliffs. What an awesome sight!
ReplyDeleteYou are so funny, Judy! The cliffs were totally awesome- as my grandson would say! ♥
DeleteThis reminds me of the essay about chalk by G.K. Chesterton: http://www.chesterton.org/a-piece-of-chalk/. He's a delight!
DeleteOh Judy, this essay is a delight! It also made me cry. Thank you for sharing it with me! ♥
Delete