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General
The village of Birling Gap is situated to the south of Eastdean, near
Eastbourne in East Sussex
Access & Parking
Take the A259 from Eastbourne or from Seaford. On reaching Eastdean turn
south on to a minor road to'Went Hill' and 'Birling Gap'. When you get to
the coast, the beach is accessible from the (paying) hotel car park down a
wooden stairway (April to September). Since non- naturists don't venture
far from these steps, a walk of no more than 500 yards along the beach (to
the West) will take you to the area traditionally used by naturists. New
steps are reported to be now in place [May 2002]
Description
The beach is comprised of large pebbles with occasional patches of sand
and backed by chalk cliffs. It is not overlooked and attracts few walkers.
In the past the beach has been closed owing to cliff falls - don't sit too
close!
A recent visitor described the beach as:
"very clean" and "in a beautiful setting, the white chalk cliffs of the seven sisters behind you afford great views down the coast"
Safety and ease of swimming depends upon the state of the tide, owing to rocks which make entering and leaving the water difficult. Around high tide (when the rocks are well below the surface) or at low tide when the rocks are visible are the safest times:
"there is a shallow platform of sharp rocks... the waves push you back onto them (I've got the cuts to prove it!)"
Even at the height of the season the naturist section of Birling Gap is relatively quiet, with a mixture of couples and singles, the predominant age group being 40-50's.
"Another positive is that the beach allows you 30-45min walk up the coast over the pebbles to the headland, where a new bay begins.. I only passed three clothed couples beach walking, and to avoid confronting them, I sat down behind a boulder and waited until they passed... I would definitely recommend Birling Gap..."
Birling Gap made the news recently because local residents are campaigning for work to be undertaken to protect their properties from the on-going coastal erosion, while the National Trust feel that nature should be left to take its course.
Facilities
There is a cafe and toilets are available in Birling Gap.
Water Quality
Reported to be good.
Trip Report May 2005
"The hotel car park is not charged for in my experience and the National Trust Car Park is free. No 13 bus from Brighton, Seaford and Eastbourne runs hourly on Sundays. Toilets, refreshments and National Trust wardens [are] all there. Check the tide tables on the hotel noticeboard to make sure you don't get cut off. There are substantial iron steps down to the beach. You can go either left (East) or Right (West) to find a quiet spot, but you need good shoes for the pebbles. Very little sand!"
Trip Report April 2005
I love this beach!! This has to be one of the most tranquil and relaxing beaches around, it is also stunning with the backdrop of the white cliffs.
As a young man (32) I have been coming here for about 5 years and I always have the best time. Once you approach the "area" where the naturists are, you have plenty of room and large rocks to choose from and occupy. I find it very friendly here when I have been approached by other genuine naturists, couples in their 50's, which is nice when you go there alone. I often bring a book and some beer as the rocks are a force to be reckoned with and as they have been there far longer than I have, I best leave them there and only venture out to the sea for occasional dips and cooling off. What with the large white chalk cliffs behind you, the sun seems to reflect alot and you become so warm! The rocks are quite slippery so be on your guard here. There are many genuine naturists in their 30's and it is nice to see older couples, and incredibly few voyuers. I once went for a l-o-n-g lone stroll and passed a few clothed people who didn't seem bothered. Although there are echoes in them cliffs, the place feels like heaven! I recommend this place to anyone.
Trip Report September 2004
"I went for a swim on this beach a couple of weeks ago, and we had the place to ourselves, it being early evening. A pleasant spot - but even though it was near high water the rocks were lethal. I would not advise anyone to attempt to swim off them (except perhaps in a dead flat calm sea) a pity, as it is a lovely spot for a walk or sunbathing."
Trip Report August 2004
"Today (15 August) was my first visit to Birling Gap and, being quite new to naturism, I felt totally relaxed and not at all inhibited when walking in full view from my towel to the waters' edge. The submerged rocks make entry to the sea a bit awkward but a slight slip does at least get you in nice and quickly!
The occassional clothed walker passed by without any comment, but I should think anyone walking that part of the beach is expecting to see at least one naturist if not more. I have returned home on a high and can't wait to repeat the experience. Fingers crossed for good weather!"
Trip Report August 2004
"I visited this beach on a recent August Sunday late in the afternoon and from the top of the steps saw no evidence of naturists on the beach.
Undaunted (and not having read your beach description before hand) we went east. Here we spent about several hours, most in the nude out of sight of most of the beach. We did not feel uncomfortable nor did we attract any unwanted attention. The beach walkers that passed were uninterested.
Walking the length of the beach before leaving, I would conclude that going west to near the end of the pebble beach would provide better swimming and more space. If you were the first to bare all you might want to be there early (or very late) as you will be amongst [the] suited."
Trip Report by David C - May 2004
"Now in my late 50s, my wife, children and myself have been going to Birling Gap for at least 30 years. The kids are grown up nowadays and go wherever they choose but we make the 25 mile journey down to the Gap at least half a dozen times a year
Naturism appears to have been totally accepted for all of the time we've been going there - although a better description would be "clothing optional" would be a better desciption of the prevailing attitude. Those that attend the beach appear to be "genuine" and there is a marked absence of the unsavory elements that are causing offence in the dunes of Studland and other site.
We have seen this tolerant attitude on the Atlantic beaches of France, and is, I believe, the way forward for the true naturist. Couples or friends can go to such places without feeling any pressure to confirm to a code of practice and the result is a balanced mix."
Trip Report by Mike - July 2002
"I visited Birling Gap on a breezy late June Friday having earlier in the day been to Norman's Bay - and hoping for better things.
I parked in the free, grass-covered car park.
A stout wooden staircase enables the descend of the vertical cliff face. There was a brisk breeze down on the beach and the twenty or so textiles were very textile indeed! The tide was in so the beach was a fairly narrow ribbon of large pebbles and it didn't look long enough (500 yds?) for there to be a naturist bit, but I turned right and waded along the stones.
I didn't realise that the first, youngish, naturist was naked until I was within a few yards of him - he had his trunks against his hip so that from a distance it looked as if he was wearing them. Next was a girl surrounded by a windbreak - topless (the girl, not the windbreak). Then another 30s naturist male hidden behind a windbreak, then a couple, again in a windbreak, he naked she fully clothed, and then a male sitting in the open. On a rock ledge beside the couple, under a slight rock outcrop, was a lone girl, incongruously fully clothed. Was she with one of the males?
I walked along past the last male, the beach narrowing all the time, and stripped off, but the relative proximity of the textiles militated against anything other than sitting or lying down. The cliffs above, apparently given to bombarding the unwary, made it hard to relax and I did not stay long.
A hundred yards further the beach narrowed to nothing. At low tide is it possible to walk round the point and reach a more secluded beach? If so this would be a good beach to visit. Low tide would have the added advantage of making it possible to encamp further from the cliff."
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