The white cliffs of Dover get all the publicity but, personally, I prefer the magnificent chalk cliffs of the Seven Sisters, near Eastbourne.

It seems unbelievable to me that the chalk is actually the microscopic remains of plankton deposited here as much as 90 million years ago, and that the darker bands, of flint, were probably formed from the remains of sponges during those times when sponges were particularly abundant in the warm seas that once flowed here.

My photos were taken on two visits and from both directions (east to west, west to east), and you can see how different the cliffs look in different weather conditions. They sparkle and glisten in bright sunshine and smoulder like burnished steel on grey days.

The chalk is soft, erodes constantly and there are frequent large slips (as you can see in the photo below) so, if you’re visiting, stay away from the cliff edge!