In collaboration with RGS and DiscoveringBritain.org, Craghoppers are running a series of competitions to celebrate the breathtaking Britain from the Air photography exhibition. From the Seven Sisters to Ben Nevis, we’ve selected a different location each week and have been asking you to share your photos and experiences from this location, hashtagging #DiscoveringBritain.
Discovering The Seven Sisters
Directly facing Europe, southern England’s chalk coastline, the Seven Sisters is an international landmark. The winners of our Seven Sisters competition, Mitch Glenn and Miranda Claremont tell us about their connections to East Sussex and the story behind their photographs.
A Quaint Camping Holiday Scattered with Clifftop Strolls
Submitted by Mitch Glenn
Why did you choose to walk The Seven Sisters?
We were on holiday camping in East Sussex and Seven Sisters was high on our ‘things to do’ list! It is such an iconic image and we were really looking forward to walking along the cliffs. It did not disappoint! Weather was perfect too!
Did you take a particular walking route?
We started from Seven Sisters Country Park Visitor Centre and followed the South Downs way. Stopping numerous times to take lots of photos! We stopped for refreshments at Birling Gap and looked round the very informative National Trust Visitor Centre. We carried on to the old lighthouse on the cliff top (refreshments available) then headed in land to East Dean, stopping off at The Tiger Inn, a lovely pub on the green! Made our way back to the car park via Friston Forest! About 10 miles in all and thoroughly recommend! Mitch Glenn, Leicestershire
Grassy Slopes, Flinty Villages and an Opera Festival
Submitted by Miranda Claremont
What brought you to the Seven Sisters?
Tickets to Glyndebourne, the opera festival run from a beautiful stately home near Lewes, brought us to East Sussex this summer, but it was the sea and the cliffs that kept us there. I’ve been visiting the South Downs my whole life, walking the promenades and promontories with my grandparents, long-time residents of Eastbourne. They died some years ago, so my new guide was South Downs Walks from the trusty Cicerone, which made sense of hazy memories of grassy slopes and flinty villages.
Do you have a favourite walking route?
We were staying at the Tiger Inn at East Dean (a jolly welcome, pleasant local beers and an idyllic village green) and decided on a circular walk to Eastbourne. Running inland through peaceful down-land to the town for the first leg and back across the clifftop to Birling Gapfor the second, it took us through some of the best scenery the area has to offer on a perfect summers day.
When is the best time of year to visit the South Downs?
July is a wonderful time to visit the South Downs, whose yellow grasses and brilliant wildflowers contrast vividly with the green fields, blue seas and skies, and brilliant white cliffs, straight out of a Ravillious sketch-book.
East Sussex must-do’s!
The white cliffs are a quintessential image of Britain and they deserve their fame. But there are other treasures in this corner of East Sussex for the walker looking to take a break from the trail. The Towner art gallery with its lovely, small collection, the Litlington Tea Gardens serving a cream tea unchanged in my thirty years of visiting, and the Eastbourne Rug Company whose charming proprietor will sell you a little piece of Iran over coffee and conversation. Britain shows itself at its best here and I heartily recommend a visit! Miranda Claremont, London
Your experiences of The Seven Sisters
For destination inspiration, visit Discovering Britain
In the meantime, make sure you check out the Discovering Britain website for walking route inspiration, must-see viewpoints and stunning photography – www.discoveringbritain.org
How do I get involved?
Like us on Facebook and follow our Twitter to find out where our next location will be – you could be the winner of a new Craghoppers Rucksack! #DiscoveringBritain