insideSUSSEX Magazine Issue 17 - July 2016 | Page 77
DAYSOUT
Where best to stretch
your legs in Sussex
Birling Gap
In research collected earlier this year, The British Heart
Foundation revealed that 48 percent of women and 42
percent of men have confessed to being so unfit that they
would get out of breath just running for the bus, which
isn’t good news, but is news that can be easily addressed.
According to research collected from the Journal of
Epidemiology and Community Health, the closer you are
to nature, the healthier you will be. The research found
that people who live within one kilometre of a park, or a
wooded area experience less anxiety and depression than
those that live further away. The mental, physical and
social benefits of getting out in the fresh air and going for
a simple walk are huge and Sussex is a county packed with
beautiful places to stroll, so why not stretch your legs and
lift your spirits at one of these pastoral parklands.
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Birling Gap
Located near Eastbourne in East Sussex, Birling
Gap is part of the infamous Seven Sisters chalk
cliffs, which is a phenomenal stretch of rough
and ready coastline characterised by ancient
downland and truly spectacular views out to
sea that stretch for miles. Directly below the
towering cliffs, all sorts of oddly shaped nooks
and crannies have created a natural marine
nature reserve, which is brilliant for rock pooling,
or for picnics on the beach, while inland you
can find yourself happily lost amongst 500
acres of open chalk grassland that teems with
butterflies and colourful flowers.
There’s a three-mile circular walking trail that
begins at the nearby Tiger Inn pub in the pretty
village of East Dean and follows old drovers’ and
smugglers’ routes right down to the sea giving
walkers a real sense of the history of the local
landscape. Covering mainly farmland and welldrained soil, it’s great for families – and dogs! –
and includes some gates, but no stiles and four
moderately steep sections. More details can
be found at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lists/
downloadable-walks-in-sussex.