Man walking along the Peace Path at Beachy Head, the highest chalk cliff in England
Beachy Head is a chalk headland in Southern England, close to the town of Eastbourne in the county of East Sussex, immediately east of the Seven Sisters. The cliff there is the highest chalk sea cliff in Britain, rising to 162 m (530 ft) above sea level. The peak allows views of the south east coast from Dungeness to the east, to Selsey Bill in the west. Its height has also made it one of the most notorious suicide spots in the world. Beachy Head is the most famous part of the Eastbourne Downland and the name Beachy Head is a corruption of the original French words 'Beauchef' from 1274. There are two lighthouses at Beachy Head. The original, the Belle Tout was built in 1834 on the headland to the West of Beachy Head but its light could not be seen by shipping in low mist or fog. A second lighthouse was built in 1902 in the sea just below Beachy Head. Coastal erosion forced the Belle Tout lighthouse to be relocated a further 50 feet inland in 1999 and it is now a hotel. The Peace Path is a 750 metre circular route starting opposite the main Beachy Head car park and leading to a viewpoint on the Head. There is a stone monument and seat at the beginning of the walk. The original seat was placed to commemorate the purchase of the downs and was unveiled by the Duke and Duchess of York (later George VI and Queen Elizabeth) on 29 October 1929. The seat was badly damaged in the war, removed and replaced with a much less ornate seat on 21 November 1979 in the presence of the Duke of Devonshire. There is also a memorial to World War II Bomber Command airmen at Beachy Head. Beachy Head was the last sight of Great Britain for most of the airmen. Almost half the 125,000 Bomber Command airmen died on missions to bomb Nazi Germany. Lord Lieutenant of East Sussex, Peter Field, dedicated the memorial to the 55,573 airmen who lost their lives. The six-ton granite tribute was organised by 90-year-old Joseph Williams who served in Bomber Command.
Size: 5203px × 2934px
Location: Peace Path, Beachy Head, Eastbourne, Eastbourne Downs, East Sussex, England, UK
Photo credit: © Eden Breitz / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: Yes
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