The name dates back to the Norman Invasion, and derives from French. Beach comes from beau chef, or beautiful headland, and head means, well, head. William the Conqueror was more concerned about the castles on either side of Beachy Head, but clearly the Normans came this way, and the town of Battle, oddly the site of the 1066 battle of Hastings, is about six miles away.
The weather at the top of the cliffs is often harsh. I had to put down my umbrella at one point for fear of it being destroyed, and within a stretch of ten minutes the weather went from very hot to windy and rainy to mild again.
Famous area personalities included Charles Dodgson, an accomplished mathematician better known for being Lewis Carroll, and an unhappy Eastborne schoolboy named Eric Blair, better known as George Orwell.
Exploring Beachy Head requires you to be in decent shape, as the hills are steep and it is a calf-burning mile walk to get to the good stuff, the iconic Belle Tout lighthouse and the Seven Sisters. Dress in layers, because the weather changes abruptly.
The best way to explore the area may be by car to Birling Gap; this way, you could go east to Belle Tout lighthouse or west to the Seven Sisters. Either way, walking up and down steep hills is inevitable, and when I say steep, we're talking sometimes around 40 degrees. If you're going by train, take one of the many trains out of London Victoria station to Eastbourne, where you can take a bus out to Beachy Head. In order to see all of the Seven Sisters, go in the morning and expect to return late in the afternoon, but some pretty impressive scenery can be got for an afternoon excursion.
Whatever you do, take a moment to pause at the English Channel and think about all the history that has sailed through or flown over the waters.
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