2 million years of erosion

View at Cuckmere Haven looking west in the direction of Seaford Head. With the cliffs at this point rising steeply, two million years of erosion looks quite dramatic.

Along this stretch of coastline there is plenty to see. You can find breeding sites for Fulmers and Kittiwakes. And at Seaford Head itself, there is a Stone Age hill fort, half of which has fallen into the sea. Thank goodness at least on this small stretch of coast, the cliffs have been left alone to remain perhaps the most natural in the country.

Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) on the South Downs

When walking and sketching on the South Downs, I can't help being drawn by the shapes and texture of hawthorn trees as they lean eastwards to escape the sculptural effect of the prevailing winds. Lone trees in silhouette against the horizon have a strange beauty, often echoing the soft curves of the downs.


Close up, the hawthorn appears gnarled, twisted and impenetrable. In winter when viewed from a distance, clumps of hawthorn together with other varieties form thickets creating abstract patterns of raw umber, set off against patches of green cropped turf and blue sky (see the photo below).


It is already November and soon I can look forward to the sprinkle of white blossom from the blackthorn in March.


Beware the oak-
It courts the stroke,
Beware the ash-
It courts the flash,
Creep under the thorn-
It will save you from harm.

Atonement and WWII invasion defences

Cuckmere Haven in the Seven Sisters Country Park really is a haven. It remains one of the few unspoilt beaches along the south coast of England. It must look now, just as it did at the turn of the last century. What helps keep it this way is you have to take the trouble to walk there. It’s not far from a car park, but none the less, effort is required.

The classic view looking towards the Seven Sisters contains the row of cottages close to the cliff edge, and can be seen in the recent film Atonement.

Sea lion, (the code word for the German Invasion in WWII) was centred on the South Coast of England. If you look a little closer around the Haven you will come across several remains of the WWII coastal defences. The rough sketch above illustrates one of the remaining concrete pillboxes and ‘Dragon’s Teeth’ tank obstacles looking much as they were in 1940.