A couple of days ago I stopped-off at Birling Gap to have my lunch…
I noticed while standing at the top of the steps that go down to the beach, how grey and course the shingle appeared. Presumably this indicated that this material is of relatively newly exposed flint. There was a large cliff-fall mid-way along the Seven Sisters back in the summer which no doubt has contributed,it now completely dispersed by the sea. Shingle is in the main, of a brownish hue due to exposure over time to iron compounds in the seawater.
The land to the east of Birling Gap appears much improved from the now regular winter pony grazing. This week there were still a number of plants still in flower. Scrub clearance by National Trust staff and volunteers has also had a marked effect on this once un-managed area.
A herd of ponies were grazing on Eastbourne BC’s Belle Tout area, the first of the autumn/winter grazing of four sites within the Birling/Beachy Head area this season.