Beachy Head
|
| Beachy Head lighthouse under construction |
Beachy Head is a
chalk headland on the south coast of
England, close to the town of
Eastbourne in the county of
East Sussex. The
cliff there is the highest chalk sea cliff in Britain, rising to 162
m (530
ft) above sea level
[1].
The prominence of Beachy Head has always made it a landmark for sailors in the English Channel. It is noted as such in the sea shanty Spanish Ladies:
- The first land we sighted was called the Dodman,
- Next Rame Head off Plymouth, off Portsmouth the Wight;
- We sailed by Beachy, by Fairlight and Dover,
- And then we bore up for the South Foreland light.
It was also a danger to shipping. The famous Belle Tout lighthouse built in 1831 is located near the edge of the cliff. It was moved more than 17
m (50
ft) further inland in
1999 due to cliff
erosion[1].
It was superseded by the newer Beachy Head Lighthouse built in the sea below.
Beachy Head is notorious as a popular location for people to commit suicide.
The Battle of Beachy Head, 1690, was a naval engagement during the War of the Grand Alliance
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