As an island, Great Britain has no shortage of coastal views; from Land’s End to John O’Groats, the white cliffs of Dover to the rugged Hebrides. Today we’re taking a look at the coastal cottages of Cuckmere Haven, offering picturesque views of the Seven Sisters Cliffs:
© Copyright Stephen Dawson cc by-sa 2.0
Located on the southern coast of England, Cuckmere Haven is a popular tourist destination with approximately 350,000 people descending on the area each year to marvel of the natural beauty of the estuary, as well as the strategically placed coastal cottages, which only add further charm to the area.
The area is rich in wildlife with a nature reserve at the crest of the hill, home to kestrels and swallows, badgers and rabbits, adders and grass snake, as well as short-snouted seahorse and much more. Since 2019 the coast has been protected under the South Downs National Park’s Marine Conservation Zone.
The area is also rich in history, from being a popular smugglers’ route in the 16th century to the sinking of the Polynesia; a German sailing ship, which beached along the shore in 1890 and can now be seen from Cuckmere Haven during low tide.
The scene may be familiar to readers as the setting has been used in various productions over the year, including Luther, Atonement, Foyle’s War, Green Wing and Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire, to name a few.
Originally built at coastguard’s cottages in 1822, the row of sea view homes are under threat from erosion and teeter on the brink of their hillside perch. Local residents have united to launch a fundraising campaign to save the idyllic cottages: Cuckmere Haven SOS.
© Copyright Philip Halling cc by-sa 2.0
View more picturesque views in previous posts such as Great Budworth or Whalley, or get more cottage inspiration in posts such as English Cottages.
feature image by Andrew Curtis, cc by-sa 2.0