Discover a range of holiday cottages, farmhouses, barn conversions, and glamping pods, set on working farms within 10 miles of the coast in Sussex. A farm stay by the coast gives you the best of both worlds – laid-back rural charm and beautiful countryside with easy access to coastal walks, beach days, watersports, and stunning sea views.
Sussex has approximately miles of coastline along the English Channel, and is a coast of contrasts, running from the wide sandy beaches of Camber Sands in the east to the sheltered harbours of Chichester in the west, with the chalk cliffs of the Seven Sisters and Beachy Head forming one of the most iconic stretches of coastline in England at its centre. The county is one of the sunniest in Britain, with more sunshine hours than almost anywhere else in the country, and its coastal farm stays tend to sit on the chalk downland or the low-lying coastal plain, within easy reach of a coastline that rewards exploration in all seasons.
Camber Sands, in the far east of the county, is one of the finest beaches in England, a wide stretch of sand backed by dunes that is largely unspoiled. West Wittering, at the entrance to Chichester Harbour, is a National Trust beach with golden sand, shallow tidal lagoons at low tide, and views across to the Isle of Wight, and is consistently voted one of the best beaches in the South East. Birling Gap, tucked below the Seven Sisters cliffs, is a more rugged proposition with a shingle beach accessible via a staircase from the cliff top, with rock pools rich in wildlife and a coastline that is visibly changing as the chalk erodes. Cuckmere Haven, reached by walking down the valley from Exceat, is one of the most beautiful and remote beaches on the south coast, framed by the white cliffs and accessible only on foot.
Brighton with its iconic pebble beach, bohemian Lanes, beautiful gardens, and historic Royal Pavilion is a must-visit destination. Enjoy arcade games and traditional fairground rides on the pier before rounding off the day with fish and chips on the seafront.
The stretch of coast around Goring Gap and West Wittering is one of the best windsurfing and kitesurfing locations in southern England, with consistent southwesterly winds and wide beaches that makes launching straightforward. Chichester Harbour is outstanding for sailing and kayaking, with a sheltered, tidal beach that’s rich with birdlife. Seaford and the beaches east of Brighton offer sea fishing from the shore.
Birling Gap is a fossil-rich area where careful searching at low tide can yield ammonites and other Cretaceous marine fossils from the chalk. The RSPB reserve at Medmerry, west of Selsey, is one of the most important coastal wildlife sites in the South East, a managed realignment scheme that has created extensive intertidal habitat for wading birds, wildfowl, and raptors. Pagham Harbour, further west, is another outstanding RSPB site with year-round wader watching. West Wittering is a popular spot for birdwatchers, hosting many migratory waders and wildfowl within a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
The Seven Sisters Country Park offers some of the finest coastal walking in England along the chalk grassland of the cliff tops, with the meandering River Cuckmere below, and the white cliffs stretching east toward Eastbourne. The walk from Seaford Head to Cuckmere Haven and back is accessible, spectacular, and one of the most photographed walks in the south of England. The Sussex Coast Path runs the length of the county and connects with the South Downs Way for longer routes inland.
Beachy Head Lighthouse stands at the foot of the highest chalk sea cliff in Britain, 530 feet of sheer white chalk rising from the sea, and can be seen from the cliff top above or, more dramatically, from a boat below. The lighthouse, completed in 1902, is striped in red and white and sits in waters that have claimed hundreds of ships over the centuries. The view from the cliff top at sunrise, when the chalk catches the early light and the Channel stretches to France on a clear day, is one of the most memorable Sussex moments.
