Seven Sisters, Sussex facts for kids

The Seven Sisters cliffs and the coastguard cottages, seen from Seaford Head across the River Cuckmere

The Seven Sisters are a stunning series of white chalk cliffs. They stand tall by the English Channel in southern England. These famous cliffs are located in East Sussex, between the towns of Seaford and Eastbourne. They are a special part of the South Downs National Park.

The Seven Sisters were once dry valleys in the chalk hills. Over time, the sea has slowly worn them away. This natural process keeps the cliffs bright white.

Amazing White Cliffs

The Seven Sisters cliffs start just east of Cuckmere Haven. They are made up of several peaks and dips. Each one has its own name. There are seven main hills, but the sea is always changing them.

Here are the names of the peaks (the high points) and the dips (the low points) between them, from west to east:

• Haven Brow
• Short Bottom
• Short Brow
• Limekiln Bottom
• Rough Brow
• Rough Bottom
• Brass Point
• Gap Bottom
• Flagstaff Point (which continues into Flagstaff Brow)
• Flagstaff Bottom
• Flat Hill
• Flathill Bottom
• Baily's Hill
• Michel Dean
• Went Hill Brow

Just past the last peak is a place called Birling Gap. Further along, you can see the Belle Tout Lighthouse on top of the next hill. Even further is Beachy Head, which has a lighthouse in the sea.

The South Downs Way is a walking path that follows the top edge of these cliffs. It goes up and down, offering amazing views. Many places nearby are named after the cliffs, like the Seven Sisters Sheep Centre.

A wide view of all seven sisters from the Beachy Head cliffs. You can see the River Cuckmere and Seaford Head in the distance.

Seven Sisters in Movies and TV

The Seven Sisters cliffs are often used in films and TV shows. They are a great stand-in for the more famous White Cliffs of Dover. This is because the Seven Sisters look very natural. They don't have many modern buildings nearby. Also, they are allowed to erode naturally. This keeps them a bright white color. The White Cliffs of Dover, however, are protected and have more plants growing on them.

You can see the Seven Sisters at the start of the movie Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. They also appear at the end of the film Atonement. In that movie, the characters Robbie and Cecilia always dreamed of living there.

A lot of the 2015 movie Mr. Holmes was filmed around the Seven Sisters. The 2019 film Hope Gap, starring Bill Nighy, also used the cliffs as a backdrop. This movie is named after a special part of the chalk cliff between Seaford and Cuckmere Haven. In 2020, the film Summerland was released. It was set and filmed around the Seaford area, showing many views of the Seven Sisters.

An amazing photo of the Seven Sisters, looking east, was even included as a default wallpaper on Microsoft Windows 7 computers!

Images for kids

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  The eastern part of the Seven Sisters, seen from Flagstaff Point

See also

In Spanish: Seven Sisters (Sussex) para niños