Journey to the Coast

by fimbulvetr

Now that the weather is finally moving into springtime, this weekend seemed like a good time to go hike again and see more of the natural side of England. My chosen hiking spot was near the town of Eastbourne, which lies in the south-east corner of England and borders a section of the South Downs National Trail. I plotted out a ten mile loop that would head from Eastbourne into the countryside, turn down toward the coast, and follow the coast back into town. Having loaded the map and plotted path on my phone,  I set off.

Initially, I was only passing by farms, attracting the gaze of many a sheep. By lunch time I made it to the town of East Dean, so I sat in the village green to eat my packed lunch before continuing onwards. Upon reaching the coast and the South Downs Way, I was blown away with how sharp the cliffs met the sea. The rolling hills showed no signs of the approaching coast, and then suddenly just ended. These truncated hills would be my path for the next 5 miles, rising and falling as the wind pushed me forward.

Unlike my previous hike on the Pennine Way, I was never very far from other people. The trail followed a road fairly closely, and by the time I reached the South Downs Way, I was joined by an entire crew 10K runners. What was more variable was the weather, consisting of densely packed rain clouds that were slowly making their way across the sky. With a bit of good planning and luck I managed to dodge most of them, being caught for only 5 minutes at most in some light showers.

By the time Eastbourne was in sight again, I realized there was more to this town than simply an eastward view. The site of Beachy Head adjacent to Eastbourne was the launching point was many Royal Air Force (RAF) incursions into Nazi Occupied France. The monument for the men who lost their lives to this cause was set on the hill that would be their last sight of England before heading into battle. Unlike these men, I do know that I will return home again, even if it may take several years.

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