Although London is a huge city with lots to explore, you would be remiss if you did not take advantage of your time in the UK to explore areas outside of London. There are plenty of places to visit, either for short day trips, or longer vacations. Your Reading Week is the perfect time for these types of trips.
As a nature-lover and avid hiker I need to get out of the city from time to time. If you are like me, the Seven Sisters hike is one I would recommend. This hike can be done as a day trip, but be mindful that the hike itself takes around 6 hours so for a day trip you should depart from London bright and early! However, the surrounding towns are also lovely places if you want to spend a night or two instead.
The best way to start this hike is by taking a train from Victoria Station to Seaford. This train is not too expensive, especially if you purchase tickets well in advance. If you are planning on taking multiple train journeys during your time in London I do recommend getting a rail card. The card is 30 pounds and it gives you a 30% discount off all train travels in the UK, which can add up to quite a lot of money saved.
Once you get to Seaford you will be met with a quaint coastal down with a nice beach (in terms of UK standards, at least). However, the star of the show is the beautiful cliffs that stretch out across the beach. These are the cliffs you will walk over! The hike is called Seven Sisters, because there are seven cliffs to walk over.
Throughout the hike there are two different pubs and one café, if you want to take a break with a pint, or to have some lunch. There are also spots to sit and have your packed lunch. The hike itself is quite intuitive and there is not many opportunities to get lost as long as you follow the outline of the cliffs. Still, I do recommend that you download the app AllTrails and find the hike on there as it will show you exactly where to go.
Although the hike is quite long it is not too challenging to complete. You do not need to have loads of hiking experience to finish it! It is also possible to only complete parts of the hike and take the bus back to Seaford, or to Eastbourne should you decide that you do not want to complete the hike or if you want to go to Seaford and see the cliffs, but not spend six hours hiking.
At the end of the hike you will come down to Eastbourne, another coastal town with a nice beach. You can take the train back to London from the station from here, take a bus back to Seaford and take the train from there, or you can spend a night in either of the towns.
The Seven Sisters hike is a perfect way to get out of London and enjoy some beautiful British scenery. Take advantage of an upcoming Reading Week, or a free Saturday. You get to explore other parts of the UK, it can be done in a day, and you get some fresh air and exercise. Bring some friends, or go by yourself, it will be a fun trip either way!
