Being placed in London not only had me living in a city full of history but also a short commute away from historic sites. As such, this made a plan for a perfect day trip from London.

The white cliffs of Dover are one of the first icons that come to mind when people think of England. These iconic white cliffs bear historic meaning and importance as historically the first site an Englishman sees to know he’s home was the white cliffs. More specifically, during the Second World War and after the evacuation at Dunkirk, the English troops knew they were safe and home at last after seeing the chalk cliffs. While everyone associates the white cliffs which are a result of chalk as the cliffs at Dover, the formations pictured above are actually the Seven Sisters and are located in the area of Eastbourne. Why do these cliffs look just like a postcard view of Dover? The answer is erosion of the cliffs themselves. The cliffs at Dover themselves are more grey compared to their Seven Sisters counterparts. This is because those cliffs are protected by concrete fortifications that safeguard a nearby port, slowing the erosion of the cliffs and turning the color more grey. The cliffs at Seven Sisters are more wild and do not have the same protections. As such, erosion occurs at a higher rate and exposes bright white chalk. While aesthetically more pleasing, land erosion, unchecked, can be a concern down the line.

One of the benefits of Seven Sisters is the opportunity to do a coastal hike along the cliffs. On this hike, we encountered an important coastal feature, a lighthouse. Beyond being iconic coastal features, lighthouses are important for ship navigation at night as an indicator of land. This particular lighthouse, rather than being built on the mainland like the others I have seen, is in the channel in front of the cliffs. An explanation for this is that lighthouses can be put in that configuration to warn of submerged hazards or as simply to be visible below fog. When we initially arrived, some tops of the cliffs were covered in fog; as such, having a lighthouse under the fog to warn ships is a brilliant solution.

During the hike back to town, we encountered a pub along the cliffs; here I had my first meat pie. This pub had a meat pie of the day (ham and cheese) and was a perfect meal before the final descent back into town. The pastry crust was buttery, flaky, and light. After making a hole in the center, you pour in a rich gravy to complement the meat pie. To say this meat pie, at a random pub, on a coastal cliff, was one of the best meals during my study abroad is not an exaggeration. This meal was both fulfilling and deeply satisfying, and I would journey back to the UK for another meal any day.