Beach Trip
We left the city life for a seaside oasis.
A beach trip in the UK in September is nothing like a beach trip back home in North Carolina in September. At home in September, it’s likely still scorching outside and the ocean isn’t necesssarily cold, but still a welcome escape from the heat. At home its sandy beaches that you can still lay out and get a gnarly sunburn.
Here though, it’s already been cold for months. Jordan and I had to break out the winter coat in Manchester in August, one of the hottest months of the year back home. Not to mention the majority of the beaches in the UK are rocks, which is great for rock hunting, but not so much for laying down.
In Portslade, we were looking after three dogs in a house quite close to the sea, so close you could see the docks from the windows, although the beach was a 20 minute walk away. The dogs were Phoebe, a very anxious border collie, Chandler, a three-legged force to be reckoned with, and Monty a golden doodle. They were a funny bunch, each with their own quirks. Chandler had trouble going up and down the stairs, so she would wine all morning until someone came down to say good morning. Monty wasn’t interested in almost anything unless it involved beach. Phoebe was a sweet girl but was SO anxious, she would get jumpy if you came around the corner too fast!
Even though the weather was usually drizzly and chilly, the first Sunday we spent in Portslade was sunny and warm! So warm (like 75 degrees) that I thought I might even get in the water. Jordan and I headed to the beach around midday with Monty, one of the dogs we were looking after. Monty loved the ocean, Jordan and I were a little more hesitant. I will say, I did dip my feet in which I felt was a great effort. The water was freezing, I was shocked by how many people were actually swimming.
The following day was back to the usual chilly and rainy weather, but it was extra special because it was my 23rd birthday! After taking care of the dogs, we headed over to Brighton to spend the day! We started off with a delicious brunch and a aperol spritz before heading down to walk along the beach. We stopped and window-shopped at all of the shops along the beach. We saw the upside down house, the west-end pier, the old time amusements, and the Brighton amusements pier! Afterwards, we walked around in an antique market, before getting some pastries from a coffee shop and calling it a day. We ended the evening with some Papa John’s pizza and the X-Files. For more on my birthday and our day adventuring through Brighton click here!
A few days later, we went back to Brighton to explore the Royal Pavilion and it was every bit as extravagant as we imagined. Built in the early 1800s by King George IV, it has a rich History. During her reign, Queen Victoria decided she did not like the style and sold it to Brighton City, and even was used as a hospital for Indian soldiers during WWI. We were told they used to have quite the lavish parties here during the Victorian Era. The interiors truly are something to behold, my favorite part were the ornate chandeliers in all of the rooms.
After we had walked through the Royal Pavilion, we walked through the lanes, which is basically a large strip mall filled with independent shops and restaurants.
One of our days in Portslade we went for a hike in the South Downs area of natural beauty to see the Devil’s Dyke Valley. Our hike took us through golfing greens and cow pastures to see the valley, which although it may not look like it in the photos was quite impressive!
By the end of it, after getting lost once or twice because I couldn’t find the trail, we had walked nine miles! I was so sore the next day, I was genuinely convinced that I had pulled something. But it was so worth it, loved the views of the English countryside!
After Portslade, we booked an airbnb for two nights in Eastbourne because we had a bit of a break before we headed over to Bexhill to take care of more dogs for a week. We loved our airbnb host, she was always down for a chat and gave us so many good recommendations of things to do and places to eat. The first night we took one of her recommendations, The Lamb, a pub built in the 1100’s which Jordan and I found insane because that pub is almost four times as old as the United States.
On our first day in Eastbourne, we followed the recommendation of our Airbnb host and took a bus to Lewes (pronounced "Lewis"—I know, confusing!). The town was very charming, and we spent a good chunk of time exploring the local bookstore on the main shopping street. For lunch, we stopped at at a cafe by the river. The vibe turned a bit crazy when some people at the restaurant started playing music that sounded straight out of midsommar on instruments I had never seen before. It probably didn’t help their case that in the middle of their music it started bucketing down with rain, contributing to the spooky vibe.
On our second and final full day in Eastbourne, our main goal was to visit the famous Seven Sisters cliffs. These chalk cliffs, formed by the erosion of the South Downs, also happen to be the filming location for the Quidditch World Cup in the fourth Harry Potter movie!
Before we could take that hike though, we needed fuel, so we made our way to a South African Shop. Finally, I got my hands on some Koeksisters, a Cape Malay doughnut that I have been craving since I did research on Cape Town for my mom.
After getting that important snack, Jordan and I went over to Lidl to get some sandwiches and other pastries for our hike. We caught the bus over to the Seven Sisters Country Park and started our hike. We didn’t end up hiking over the actual Seven Sisters, but instead to a viewpoint on the other side of the Cuckmere River where you could see all of the Seven Sisters. Here we had our lunch and pastries with a stunning view.
Sadly, Jordan and I mistimed our hike to be at exactly high tide. If we had gone at low tide, we would have been able to cross the Cuckmere River to get to the actual cliffs while only getting slightly wet. Since it was high tide, we were unable to cross and therefore had to walk back the way we came instead of being able to cross the river and hike the cliffs.
After we had made it back from our hike, it was getting late and we didn’t feel like starting a new trek to see the cliffs up close. So, we decided to head back to our airbnb and relax. That evening, we ate at another pub recommended by our airbnb host, where we had the some of the best fried chicken sandwiches in a while. So good, they reminded us of the chicken sandwiches back home.
After a full day of adventuring and hiking, we headed back, watched some X-Files and prepared to leave for Bexhill the next day, where we would be taking care of a new set of dogs. We had such a great time in Eastbourne and it was very nice to be able to explore without the responsibility of dog-sitting for a few days.
xx Abby