Birling Gap
Birling Gap is a natural break in the Seven Sisters chalk cliffs on the East Sussex coast where a small settlement of beach cottages, a National Trust visitor centre and a set of steps to the beach provide the most accessible point of entry to the famous cliff landscape between Beachy Head and Cuckmere Haven. The gap has been used as a landing and launch point for small vessels since at least medieval times, and the cluster of Victorian coastguard cottages that remain on the clifftop are among the last survivors of what was once a larger community living on this exposed chalk downland.
The cliffs at Birling Gap are eroding rapidly and dramatically. The chalk is relatively soft compared to the harder rocks of the west country coast and the combination of storm wave action, freeze-thaw weathering of the cliff face and the undercutting of the cliff base produces rates of erosion that have been accelerating in recent decades. One of the original row of coastguard cottages has already fallen into the sea and the remaining cottages are threatened, making Birling Gap a powerful and tangible illustration of the processes of coastal change that are reshaping much of the English coastline. The National Trust, which owns the site, has taken the decision not to defend the clifftop against erosion but to allow the natural process to continue, managing the visitor infrastructure by retreating landward as the cliff edge advances.
The beach at Birling Gap is a shingle beach backed by chalk cliffs, accessible by the steep metal staircase at low and mid tide. The rock pools exposed at low tide in the chalk ledges are rich with marine life and provide excellent snorkelling and rock pooling. The walking along the clifftop in both directions is outstanding, with the Seven Sisters undulating chalk cliff ridge extending westward toward Cuckmere Haven and the views seaward encompassing the busy shipping lane of the English Channel.