South Downs Way Annual Walk - Day 9

The final day, and there is a choice of two routes to Eastbourne, the inland South Downs Way through Jevington, or the longer coastal route over the spectacular Seven Sisters with lots of short sharp ups and downs, and not just seven of them.

There was a possibility of rain so I just took my phone camera but as it turned out the weather remained dry with a good breeze from behind. It was a lovely day for a walk and, looking back, we were dry on a remarkable 8 of the 9 days. It was unfortunate that the few hours of rain on our wet day matched up with the period of our hike, but sometimes one needs a little character building!

Setting off on the final day from Buckingham Park, Shoreham

On the route out of Alfriston

A cottage in the village of West Dean

A pond in West Dean

The steps climbing out of the Friston Forest borders

At the stop of the steps, suddenly a view over the oxbows of Cuckmere Haven

Climbing up above Cuckmere Haven

I was not expecting the South Downs Way to take us down again into Cuckmere Haven

Climbing once again over the estuary at Cuckmere Haven

OK, here's a selfie on the Seven Sisters with a stray green thing on my neck

Looking east from the first of the Seven Sisters cliffs

Now closing in on Birling Gap and looking back along the coastline

Birling Gap - almost 30 years ago we spent Christmas in the coastguard cottage that carries the scaffolding. In those days there were twice as many cottages. In another 20 years will all be gone?

At Beachy Head

The descent to Eastbourne

The end in sight

The Kiosk and signpost at the start of the South Downs Way in Eastbourne, 106 walking miles from the start in Winchester 9 days earlier.