Beachy Head
by Ken Trethewey
[Beachy Head, Ken Trethewey, 2002]
Having obtained my photographs at Newhaven, and with an obviously good sunset approaching, I set off towards Beachy Head which is located only about 6-8 miles east along the coast, through the coastal town of Seaford.
Beachy Head is a remarkable place for, not only are the cliffs amongst the highest to be found anywhere in the British Isles, but the drop is in most cases quite vertical. The approach to the cliff edge is across luscious green grass that slopes upwards ahead of you as you walk from the car park towards the sea; thus you cannot see the sea and at no time do you have any idea of the impending precipice you are about to meet. Suddenly you realise that the land is coming to an end and, as you walk the final few paces, you get one of the few truly breathtaking experiences in Britain. Whilst in some places, where the cliffs are extremely dangerous, crude wire fences protect you from the edge, there are still a great many places where you can approach right up to the edge. Consequently great care should be exercised at all times when going near the edge, and, sadly, this is now and always has been a popular place for committing suicide.
[Beachy Head, Ken Trethewey, 2002]
Although it is possible to look down on the lighthouse from the highest point of these fabulous and frightening white cliffs, the best views, arguably, are obtained from the lower part of the cliffs to the west, at the point where the small access road leads up to the old Belle Toute lighthouse. This is certainly the case later in the afternoon and early evening because the light falls on the brightly coloured lighthouse from that direction. Additionally, if you are there in the early evening, it is possible to observe the flashing light from this point, but not from points further up the cliffs which are obscured from the light.
Further up the cliffs it is still possible to see the place from where the winches were operated that raised and lowered men and equipment to the building site below during the construction process. If you go further to the east, towards Eastbourne, you will get the famous view depicted in a great many published images showing the lighthouse with the chalk chimney behind.
In 2000 there was a very great fall of the rocks immediately behind the lighthouse, so much so that a permanent land bridge was almost created to the lighthouse. This is clearly visible from all angles today.
On the day of my visit, the light was just a little too depleted for me to achieve the startling photographs I would have liked. However, I was able to take a selection of shots, including some rather nice photographs of the sun setting behind the old lighthouse on the hill.
[Belle Toute, Ken Trethewey, 2002]
Belle Toute has, of course, been moved away from the cliff edge which had been drawing nearer throughout the whole of its lifetime. Finally in 2000, the time had come for a move of the entire structure - tower and house - and this was successfully achieved using techniques similar to those occasionally used in the USA, most notably at Cape Hatteras. Railway-type tracks were built and, after disconnecting the structure from its foundations, it was jacked up onto the tracks and literally rolled back from the cliff by some 30 metres. The result was a great success and during my visit I was at no time aware of any lingering deleterious effect on the aesthetic setting of this lovely old lighthouse. Sadly, the tower will never recover from the severe injustice served on it when the accommodation building was greatly modified into a form quite out of character with the architecture and it is always the unsatisfying lines of the house that drag the eye away from the beautiful form and structure of the tower itself.
I was forced to run up the hill towards the lighthouse for, as is always the case with sunsets, you can never be sure how much they will develop into something that is spectacular or disappointing, nor do you know how much more time you are going to have to determine the best place from which to take the photograph. As I jogged up the hill with all my cameras crashing around my neck, flocks of birds swirled around above and I was reminded of some of Guichard's work on Thacher Island [North Atlantic Lighthouses, 2002] where he reported photographing wonderful effects of birds in the setting sun around the lighthouse. Was I going to be successful? Sadly not. I appear not to have Guichard's luck for the excellent photograph (and perhaps not the eye either?) The birds disappeared before I could get the shots I wanted and the sunset developed into one of the disappointing variety. Never mnd, it was worth the trip!
Copyright 2002 Ken Trethewey; all rights reserved.
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Posted August 12, 2005. Site copyright 2005 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.