Cycling in Seven Sisters Country Park

When I landed in England last year February, one of the things I wanted to do was to either buy a bike (cycle) or go on a ride on a rented bike. During my first visit to Swindon, I had almost decided on buying one. But had to be content with just visits to the bike shop – reason being duration of my stay was less than 3 months.

Luck was with me and there I was back in London after two months. I didn’t want to miss the opportunity this time. Instead of buying a bike, I decided to visit a place where I could rent one to roam around. Few rounds of searching on the web, I decided to visit Seven Sisters Country Park situated in the South Downs National Park.
The day started early on a Saturday. After enjoying the England’s rural landscape through the windows of the trains (London to Seaford via Lewes) and then a short journey by bus to the Park Centre. The day was cold and overcast. We hired bikes for half day and started our exploration. First visit was to the beach – cycling was fun in the cold with the cliffs on the left side and river Cuckmere to our right.

Seven Sisters gets the name from the seven brows of the cliffs made of chalk. The cliffs are receding at about 30-40cm each year on average. The process is intermittent, with major falls occurring after heavy rain or rough seas, often two of three times per year. After spending some time on the beach and savoring the majestic view of Seven sisters, it was time for cycling through woods in Friston Forest. The biking path was clearly demarcated through the woods. After biking in the open on the valley floor, it was a different experience to pedal with green covered all around.

Post lunch it was a long walk to Cuckmere Haven which is on the other side of river Cuckmere. On the way back home, tired legs won hands down against the eyes to savor the English rural landscape. And it was a much-needed rest during the return journey. 🙂