Walk the Chalk

About

Walk the Chalk is the flagship opening celebration of the King Charles III England Coast Path, taking place at South Hill, Seaford Head, the Cuckmere estuary and Exceat - all in sight of the magnificent Seven Sisters, one of the most iconic coastal views in the world.

Walk the Chalk Celebration Week - our free, five day festival of walking - highlights the area's heritage, chalk, fossils, flora, fauna, history and folklore through art and creativity. But most of all, Walk the Chalk celebrates the joys of being in nature and our coastal landscape.

Brought to you by LYT Productions in partnership with Visit Lewes, Walk the Chalk is an innovatively produced community event in an extraordinary and beautiful location.

What's Happening?

A series of free, bookable guided walks will entertain and inform visitors about the unique flora & fauna, chalk, geology, history, biodiversity and folklore of the area. Wandering performers will allow us a ghostly glimpse into the past, and a series of specially commissioned, site specific artworks will sit along the path, interpreting and reflecting on the landscape, the natural world and our place within it.

Walk the Chalk will bring the area alive to people who would normally struggle to access the Coast Path, using electric vehicles and all terrain mobility scooters to enable them to experience the beauty and majesty of this very special place.

As well as celebrating walking, a free programme of live music, talks, debate and workshops will take place at South Hill Barn and Seven Sisters Visitor Centre.

Highlights include The Copper Family, the Captains Beard, sea shanties, the We Hear You Now project and a debate on the impact of climate change on the area, chaired by Matthew Bird, Sussex Wildlife Trust Climate Lead and Mayor of Lewes.

Also housed at South Hill Barn will be the amazing virtual reality Living Coast Undersea Experience - again, completely free to visitors.

Where is it happening?

The focus of Celebration Week is on South Hill Barn and the surrounding area. Our ticketed Accessible Art guided walk will leave every 30 minutes from South Hill Barn and takes in Hope Gap and the Coastguard Cottages before heading back up to the Barn. It will take about 1.5 hours in total, in the company of knowledgeable tour guides. 

A series of six large, innovative art installations will surprise walkers along the route, working in sympathy with their setting and provoking discussion and wonder. All have been created by local artists, in response to the landscape.

The Seven Sisters Visitor Centre, Pump Barn and Country Park will also be hosting unique Walk the Chalk events. The We Hear You Now team are offering guided walks, spoken word performances and workshops, while the Pump Barn will host an incredible chalk installation by Katy Beinart, which visitors can visit, interact with and add to throughout Celebration Week. A map will be available from the Visitor Centre for those wishing to self guide a circular walk up to South Hill and the Accessible Art route. 

A further circular walk will set off and return to the View Golf Club at Seaford Head, where visitors will be able to collect a map and guide their own journey over the cliffs to meet up with the Accessible Art route. A unique feature of this walk is a suite of site specific poetry written by local poet Peter Martin. QR codes on the map link to recordings of Martin reading his work at specific points along the way. 

Much of Walk the Chalk’s activity takes place on a Site of Special Scientific Interest, making this a uniquely sensitive and fascinating location. It’s also part of the South Downs National Park, the Sussex Heritage Coast and a Marine Conservation Area. What better place to celebrate our new national Coast Path, incredible local heritage and truly iconic landscape?