A world famous British beauty spot has seen its pebble beach transformed by sand overnight. Locals welcomed the change at Birling Gap, near Eastbourne, East Sussex, which is believed to have been the result of recent winter storms.
Mary Sievwright, speaking from the beach on Tuesday, said it was “beautiful”. She told the BBC: “I wish it had been like this when the children were young. It would have been great fun when I was a kid because we all had to scramble over pebbles the whole time.”
She told the BBC there were lots of nice places to put a towel down and sit with family since the sand appeared.
Birling Gap is part of the Seven Sisters chalk cliffs and where the South Downs meets the sea. It is managed by the National Trust.
A spokesperson for the Trust said people should enjoy the change while they can.
They said: “The action of strong waves during storms and high tides can reveal sandy patches on the beach, which are usually covered by flint pebbles at other times of the year.
“This year has seen a higher than usual amount of sand appearing.
“We ask all visitors to take care when heading to the beach, check tide times in advance and to keep well away from the cliff base at all times.”
Birling Gap hit the headlines on Tuesday when it emerged people had become trapped on the beach when a section of the famous cliffs collapsed.
Nine people and a dog were rescued by HM Coastguard after steps to the beach were damaged by the rockfall.
A HM Coastguard spokesperson said no one was injured. They added: “HM Coastguard received reports of two families stranded on a beach at Birling Gap after access steps were damaged by debris during a cliff fall.”
Coastguard rescue teams from Birling Gap, Newhaven and Eastbourne were sent to the scene. Rescue experts used ropes to bring the nine people and dog up the cliff to safety.
The National Trust’s spokesperson said: “We urge visitors to be responsible and stay safe by keeping well back from the base and edge of the cliffs when visiting the area.”
The rescue came as Storm Chandra battered the UK, with heavy rain leading to widespread flooding and over 100 flood warnings across the UK.
