Rye, Beachy Head to Easebourne

Good nights sleep, plans to move house to Easebourne for a couple of nights.  Drove to Hythe then along the coast to Rye.  Some of the coastline along this drive is below sea level and there are huge levee banks/dykes to stop the English Channel joining these people in their living rooms.  Put our feet in the water at Hythe, there are no waves, rocks for sand and some crazy Poms swimming.  The water was cold but not very attractive for swimming!
On to Rye, claims to be the most beautiful town in the UK, not sure about that but it is a very beautiful spot, probably made more beautiful because the sun was out, great weather!!  The towns history goes back (as most do here) for thousands of years, the church was built about 1500 years ago and due to invasions (many blame the French) and church revolutions the church has been burnt and rebuilt a number of times.  We climbed the tower to get a view of the town.  Many listed houses and cobblestone streets.  Wandered around for a couple of hours, had smoko then left to go to Beachy Head.
Beachy head is near Eastbourne and there is a walk from there to the Seven Sisters and Birling Gap.  These are white cliffs, similar to Dover with the difference being able to climb down and walk along the base of the cliffs on the beach.  A good plan.  We didn't reckon on the weather.  About 3 kilometres from the cliffs the fog rolled in and the wind picked up.  We went from a sunny 21 degree day to being transported to the South Pole.  The wind just about blew us over the edge.  We had lunch at the visitors centre then walked about 300 metres to the edge, bloody freezing, windy and foggy.  Didn't get to see the cliffs from the beach.  By the time we had driven 3 kilometres from the coast line the summer weather returned.
Continued to Brighton where we did some shopping then home to our B&B in Easebourne, a little town near Midhurst.  We'll get back to Brighton tomorrow.

Feet in the English Channel

Down to the water

The 'beach'

Feet in the water

Steps to the water off the top of the levee

Along the levee sea side

Along the levee land side

Anchors away in Rye

Lots of history

In the church yard

Church bells

From the church tower

Nesting seagull with a couple of chicks on the church roof

Clock tower workings

Towers access

Typical English - bowls green, play ground and town common

Rye town gate

Disappearing jetstream

Visitors centre at Beachy Head

Beachy Head

Beachy Head lighthouse

Underdressed

Our home for 2 nights

Across the road for our house - all very English

Margate and Dover

We needed a good sleep and we got it!!!  Woke at about 7am, breakfast and away we go.  Headed to Margate for a coffee, this is a sea side resort which has been seriously affected by cheap airfares and even cheaper holiday properties in Spain and Portugal.  The place is a little run down but still a pretty harbour and sea front.  We walked out along the pier and had a coffee, visited the Turner Collection Gallery which had a 'Seaside Photographic' exhibition taking in photos of UK photos from the 1800s to present day.  Great British seaside photos, it's just everyone in the photos seemed to be in jumpers??
Off to Dover, visited the castle and was very impressed by the history dating back a couple of thousand years, walked all over the castle, the pictures tell the story.
Then the highlight of the day, the White Cliffs of Dover.  Absolutely amazing, we did a 2 hour walk from the visitors centre out along the cliffs, words and photos can't explain the incredible height and imposing beauty of these legendary cliffs.  We took a couple of photos, should have been a couple of thousand, can't help it when the landscape demands recording!!!
These cliffs (as Trish and Gary will attest) are very similar to the Cliffs of Moher (expect these are in England, and they're white, and we can see them).  We did a 2 hour walk along the top and can't explain the immense experience of looking along this coastline.
Don't worry, we have photos (too many today....sorry) and plenty of stories when we get home!!!

Our selfie at some dodgy art gallery in Margate

On Margate pier

Margate skyline

Margate beach

Checking messages and shells

Couple of photos from Margate Harbour

Walked out to the lighthouse where we had a coffee

Chapel in Dover Castle

Standing on the steps of the Officers Mess

The King of the Castle

We can see France from here - hello Maureen!!!!!

Scenes from Dover Castle

Thousands of photos from the Cliffs, we culled a few!!!!  I didn't see bluebirds over the White Cliffs of Dover but Vera Lynn would have been willing them in!!

Pam looking over the White Cliffs of Dover.......

Oh dear!!!

Artist depicting the possible future of the UK

Lots of roads we've travelled so far

Time for tea at the pub around the corner in the little village where we are staying.

Pam had dessert

I had a glass of red

Front gate to the B&B

Our B&B