Fairlight Cove - Sussex



Fairlight Church

  Fairlight Cove in Sussex was a place of myth, a place where our father took us on what was for him nostalgic trips.  This Summer during the school holidays I took a trip to Pett Level  and to Fairlight and Fairlight Cove to discover the truth of the myth.  In other words I demystified the experience of going onto the cliffs near Fairlight with my father and being frightened by the steep proximity of the sea viewed below the cliffs, the labyrinth of gorse and the mystery of why Dad wanted to walk these cliffs. 







Rocks on the beach at Pett Level



Pett Level apepares in the story because that is wheer we often stopped for a sea side picnic, to gather winkles and play among the rocks and soggy beaches.  My memories of the place were vague but I did remember roughly where we parked the car and piled out for a picnic.  I recalled the canal, the grassy verge and the walk across the road to the beach which was always interesting at low tide.  My two brothers and my sister spent hours there safe in the knowledge that our parents would not take us to a dangerous place and so we enjoyed it. Camber was our favorite but that was getting commercilised and there was a danger there of the sudden encroachment of the sea after the turn of the tide.  The long sandy flats tend to trap the unwary.  But the dunes and the sandcastles, pools and model sailboating were not to be missed.



The beach at Pett level



However, there are memories and my sister and I have different memories of the same times, she being some eight years younger than me, and sharing them was quite an experience. The first for me was the terrifying walks along the cliffs  and for her it was the rocks at Pett Level thatfascinated her.  For both of us the canal and the little houses alongside were etched there and these we found.  The rocks were there, the houses and the canal are there and so are the cliffs but these come later.   For the moment we will try to see Pett Level as it is.  The place has changed, more houses, the sea wall is good if somewhat boring and the rocks are still there on the shore and below the cliffs. To my surprise, not because it wasn't there before, the Smuggler's Inn loomed dominant as a place to have a pint and a meal.  Dog friendly and pleasant with good beer and on the second time around good food, the place seemed part of the experinece in 2010. In the 1950's I do not seem to recall the place being there but it must have been. We picnicked, my father was not a drinker (my Grandmother on my mother's side liked her glass of stout) so we would not be taken near the pub. There may have been a little shop there but only my sister remembers that.



Beach house - Pett Level



 Now, as for the trip to Fairlight; it was on the way we discussed the idea why Dad liked the place so much. It appears that he lived there at some time and was always liking the idea of going back there to live once more.  I can see his point.  Fairlight is dominated by the tall church tower (pictured at the top) which was used as a lookout and a marker for shipping.  That it can be seen from a long way is evidenced by the way it shows up on the high point of the hills from Pett and Pett Level.  For the day it was a target, a place to head for and close by is the entrance to the Hasting Country Park which stretches from Hastings, close to the funicular lift all the way along the cliffs to Fairlight Cove.



Twisted Gorse bushes



The attraction for the visitor is not only the walks but that the unique landscape of rolling sandstone cliffs and the steep dipping valleys with access to the beaches below, the well managed 'natural habitats' and the fantastic views across the bays that change with every twist and turn.  The day I went in August was a breezy, bright day and I was assailed by views so stunning that I gasped.  I met people with dogs, children, fatehrs and children on bikes, old people walking and young people enjoying what is a magnificent natural attraction. The picture of the gorse bush (commonly known as Furze) is part of the walk along the fire hills leading to Fairlight Cove and what with the heather, bracken, bramble and coarse grass in abundance as well as the outcropping of chalk the walk came a live. Insects buzzed, birds flitted and from the sea came the calls of the gulls and the ever present smell of the sea itself.  Yet walk away from the cliffs and you would think you were well in land on a rural countryside stroll.



Heather on the Fire Hills



Boats on the beach at Pett Level



 I make no apologies for waxing lyrical.  the experience was one that tied the childhood memories and the present day together and filled in some gaps. But what of the walk? Choose to go to the Country Park and start from the information centre - collect a leaflet and map - and take the the cliff path to Fairlight Cove, saving the walk to the church to last, and if you wish explore Fairlight Cove itself although a good stroll would be to walk back up through the woods to the center again and then to walk along to the Tea Rooms and sample their excellent fare before visiting the church.  After that take the walk back along the road to the centre and take the paths across the top of the cliffs and choose a point according to the time you have to wander down into the bushy tracks and climb up and down back to the car park and visitor centre.  Take your time, visit more than once and explore.  The walking is not that easy for old and fat people (me) but is varied and deceptive for the time some parts of the walks take.  The Centre to Fairlight Cove and back can take up to two hours. 

Surprisingly there are some walks around Pett Level too.  It is possible to walk from there to Winchelsea following the canal and naturally if you wish you can walk along the beach. There is a pleasant walk from the canal, crossing a wide bridge and up the hill past the pill box on the sandstone outcrop to the upper road, along to Pett and then down again to Pett Level.

There were a few other memories on the drive down that I recalled but they belong to another tale.