The Seven Sisters

12th April 2014

    A fine Saturday morning, but cool. An excursion was planned to drive to the south coast and walk the Seven Sisters - the steeply undulating chalk cliffs between the River Cuckmere and Eastbourne. I was joined by Kay, my sister-in-law Juju and her husband Marky. After a pleasant drive down, we parked at the Seven Sisters visitor centre, Exceat Farm, and walked down the river-side. A Grey Heron stood stock still, waiting for breakfast to appear by the water's edge. And later, a Little Egrit too. We spoke to a group of Sussex Brown cattle, but they were skittish and refused to answer and looked at us accusingly. Near the estuary, we started the climb up to the top at Cliff End and followed the South Downs Way among the springtime flowers until we reached Crowlink. We stopped there for tea and looked over to Birling Gap where the winter's storms had undermined the cliff and a great chunk of chalk had slipped into the sea, leaving the buildings perilously close to the cliff edge. The old coast guard's cottage is to be demolished.
    We then took the north east path to Friston Forest past the hamlet of Crowlink and crossed the road at Friston and the church of St. Mary, a building of flint walls, and the oldest part, 11th century. We entered the forest which was awash with the yellow of Celandine. The forest was alive with birdsong and the peace absolute. We followed an old track west through the trees; the ruined walls edging the track were mossed and ivied. Mosses and lichens enveloped the trees in the damp valley. We passed West Dean where King Alfred the Great once had a palace, then climbed uphill a hundred steps back to Exceat tea rooms. We sat in the courtyard drinking coffee and eating ploughmans while Mr Robin Redbreast took crumbs from Juju's hand or he stood waiting on my shoulder expectantly.
   At home, I developed a cold, but Sunday awaits!