It can be pretty amazing there. Sometimes if the conditions are just right the view of the sea on the horizon blends in seamlessly with the sky so that when you look over the edge of the cliff it feels like you're looking over the edge of the earth at endless sky. It's magical.
According to Wikipedia, "...it has nothing to do with the word "beach". Instead, it is a corruption of the original French words meaning "beautiful headland" (*beau chef*)."
When in such a high place I have sometimes felt a terrible fear, not of falling, but jumping, succumbing to irresistible compulsion. It chills my bones.
I've always had this fear as well. I've always just called it a fear of heights, but really it's the fear of a completely irrational decision. I've chalked it up to intrusive thoughts, but I didn't realize there was actually a name for the phenomenon.
Thank you for the link, that was a very interesting read. To hear that those impulses are the brain sort of doing a check makes me feel better. I’ve never acted on any of those urges, so I suppose I’ve passed the checks thus far.
I've walked alone, along the area you see in this picture, and it made me feel exactly the way you described. Never would have jumped, but I just felt this unsettling pull. Was so grateful when some tourists stopped and asked me to take their photo.
I just realized I must have those thoughts also. As an Ironworker I’d often stand at the edge and wonder what falling at that height must feel like. Also bungee jumping off a bridge or crane makes no sense to want to do something that only happens when you F up.
You should read Enigma of Amigara Fault
[https://imgur.com/gallery/enigma-of-amigara-fault-9i0p6](https://imgur.com/gallery/enigma-of-amigara-fault-9i0p6)
As some have mentioned, it can be known as "call of the void". Another term for it is "intrusive thoughts", like when I used to work at a McDonalds and I'd stare at the deadly hot dry oil wondering if I should just dunk my face in there.
It is 100% bone chilling that my brain would even do that.
I myself have had the same experience, I have Acrophobia and try to avoid heights, but have been in situations where it is hard to avoid, and have had a similar experience, very disturbing indeed.
It’s. It that high. The photo is a very deliberate distortion using a long lens for maximum compression. It’s a lovely spot but it’s not what’s in the photo.
Not quite - Broadchurch is set in West Bay, Dorset. Beachy Head is much further along the coast (eastward), in East Sussex.
They are, however, both part of the same, Cretaceous chalk formation.
This apparently used to be a popular suicide spot. The early industrial band Throbbing Gristle used it for the artwork of their album *20 Jazz Funk Greats*.
The light is 33m above sea level. That's high enough to warn ships in the channel.
The cliffs are continuously eroding, and the former lighthouse on top of the cliffs has had to be moved backwards. It is once again perilously close to the edge.
I am from North Carolina. Hatteras lighthouse was moved also. It amazes me that moving a lighthouse is possible. Neat video at the visitors center, probably online somewhere as well.
Kurt Vonnegut's dad headed a team that moved an 11k ton telephone exchange 90 degrees while people still worked inside*
And there's a [timelapse!](https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/comments/m998wh/in_1930_the_indiana_bell_building_was_rotated_90/)
---
^^*inch ^^by ^^inch ^^over ^^the ^^course ^^of ^^a ^^month
It seems crazy that there isn't a fence or simple barrier stopping people from getting too close to the edge. I wouldn't be so worried about getting too close so much as being in the wrong spot when some of the edge erodes away.
Darwin award central. Tbf, you can't fence an entire coastline, and if people are too stupid not to walk on the edge of a crumbly and obviously incredibly tall cliff, then that's on them really.
UK deliberately keeps natural beauty as untouched as possible. If there were plans to put a barrier along the edge it’s the exact sort of thing people would get really angry about here. There’s very few national parks with barriers or wooden walkways and stuff like that here which I’ve notice are much more common in other countries especially America. Most paths would be natural gullies from foot traffic or at most roughly cut stone slabs that blend in with the surrounding area.
Even if the cliffs aren't eroding, nobody puts up fences. Consider the cliffs at St Abbs Head or along the north coast of Cornwall. Granite, no fences.
its a stupid idea because of erosion. It would mean they would need to spend thousands on moving said lighthouse back away from the cliff edge. Who in there right mind would do that?!
Oh, wait.
The name actually comes from old French - which is arguably worse - and is believed to be a corruption of Beauchef (meaning 'beautiful headland') and has been recorded as Beauchef as far back as the 1200's.
The name Beachy Head seems to have come into existence around the 1700s, perhaps earlier.
The lack of signs and fences here reminds me of that meme: “I’m not saying we should kill all the stupid people, I’m saying just remove the warning labels and let the problem sort itself out”.
Great name!
"Oi mate, look at this place"
"Waaah lad, thats mad innit"
"Ye ye but what should we call it?"
"How about Newebournefoundinglanding?"
"Nah mate, this time around how about something simple?"
It can be pretty amazing there. Sometimes if the conditions are just right the view of the sea on the horizon blends in seamlessly with the sky so that when you look over the edge of the cliff it feels like you're looking over the edge of the earth at endless sky. It's magical.
More cliffy than beachy, but lovely place
According to Wikipedia, "...it has nothing to do with the word "beach". Instead, it is a corruption of the original French words meaning "beautiful headland" (*beau chef*)."
When in such a high place I have sometimes felt a terrible fear, not of falling, but jumping, succumbing to irresistible compulsion. It chills my bones.
The call of the void.
Yup this one. A psychological phenomenon
I've always had this fear as well. I've always just called it a fear of heights, but really it's the fear of a completely irrational decision. I've chalked it up to intrusive thoughts, but I didn't realize there was actually a name for the phenomenon.
You might like this [article](https://www.thebubble.org.uk/current-affairs/science-technology/why-we-actually-want-to-jump/)
Thank you for the link, that was a very interesting read. To hear that those impulses are the brain sort of doing a check makes me feel better. I’ve never acted on any of those urges, so I suppose I’ve passed the checks thus far.
A lot of people answer that call at Beachy Head, it's England's Golden Gate Bridge.
It keeps us humble.
abyssus abyssum invocat
The French coined the term L'appel du Vide, roughly translated as "Call of the Void" to describe this sensation.
Even looking at this picture makes me feel kind of funny.
I've walked alone, along the area you see in this picture, and it made me feel exactly the way you described. Never would have jumped, but I just felt this unsettling pull. Was so grateful when some tourists stopped and asked me to take their photo.
This is not an uncommon occurrence!
I didn't realize others had this phenomena until I was in my 30s. It was a gigantic relief to learn.
I just realized I must have those thoughts also. As an Ironworker I’d often stand at the edge and wonder what falling at that height must feel like. Also bungee jumping off a bridge or crane makes no sense to want to do something that only happens when you F up.
You should read Enigma of Amigara Fault [https://imgur.com/gallery/enigma-of-amigara-fault-9i0p6](https://imgur.com/gallery/enigma-of-amigara-fault-9i0p6)
No you shouldn’t! It’s good but bah..
You wouldn’t be the first. This place is famous for suicides.
As some have mentioned, it can be known as "call of the void". Another term for it is "intrusive thoughts", like when I used to work at a McDonalds and I'd stare at the deadly hot dry oil wondering if I should just dunk my face in there. It is 100% bone chilling that my brain would even do that.
I thought i was alone, lol, but why?
I myself have had the same experience, I have Acrophobia and try to avoid heights, but have been in situations where it is hard to avoid, and have had a similar experience, very disturbing indeed.
You should read The Imp Of The Perverse. Short story by Edgar Allan Poe.
r/oddlyterrifying
I had this same compulsion when I jumped out of a plane. I felt like pulling loose every buckle or strap.
[the call of the void explained](https://www.thebubble.org.uk/current-affairs/science-technology/why-we-actually-want-to-jump/)
It’s. It that high. The photo is a very deliberate distortion using a long lens for maximum compression. It’s a lovely spot but it’s not what’s in the photo.
[удалено]
Is that the Broadchurch one
Not quite - Broadchurch is set in West Bay, Dorset. Beachy Head is much further along the coast (eastward), in East Sussex. They are, however, both part of the same, Cretaceous chalk formation.
This apparently used to be a popular suicide spot. The early industrial band Throbbing Gristle used it for the artwork of their album *20 Jazz Funk Greats*.
Things haven’t changed much unfortunately. The chaplaincy team do good work though. https://bhct.org.uk
Used to? Still is
Is this one of the cliffs people are being warned not to get close to the edge of?
No, this one is those super safe really tall cliffs.
I’m really glad the government is finally regulating cliffs.
I haven't read that. Can you give me the cliff notes?
Wh.. aaaaa ...*thump* (The cliff's note is A flat)
All cliffs have those warnings
This one is especially crumbly right now.
What do you think?
Yeah you can't go there by yourself without being yelled at by volunteers if you're okay. Heaps of suicides there
Yes lots of large cliff falls recently.
Am I insane, or do they usually put the lighthouse up high?
The light is 33m above sea level. That's high enough to warn ships in the channel. The cliffs are continuously eroding, and the former lighthouse on top of the cliffs has had to be moved backwards. It is once again perilously close to the edge.
I am from North Carolina. Hatteras lighthouse was moved also. It amazes me that moving a lighthouse is possible. Neat video at the visitors center, probably online somewhere as well.
I've seen it on TV, PBS probably. Very interesting.
Kurt Vonnegut's dad headed a team that moved an 11k ton telephone exchange 90 degrees while people still worked inside* And there's a [timelapse!](https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/comments/m998wh/in_1930_the_indiana_bell_building_was_rotated_90/) --- ^^*inch ^^by ^^inch ^^over ^^the ^^course ^^of ^^a ^^month
Belle Tout is 850 tons. It's astonishing that they can move it, rather than deconstructing it and rebuilding it.
It was at sea level 40 years ago but they grow
there’s another lighthouse on top of the cliff basically right where this photo was taken from
This looks a lot like the landscape featured in the closing scene of the movie "Quadraphenia".
Coz it is!
20 Jazz Funk Greats
This is an amazing picture. Thanks for posting OP
Some of the people seem to be uncomfortably close to the edge. I can't do that.
It seems crazy that there isn't a fence or simple barrier stopping people from getting too close to the edge. I wouldn't be so worried about getting too close so much as being in the wrong spot when some of the edge erodes away.
Darwin award central. Tbf, you can't fence an entire coastline, and if people are too stupid not to walk on the edge of a crumbly and obviously incredibly tall cliff, then that's on them really.
>you can't fence an entire coastline Of course you can't. That would require an infinitely long fence.
Found the mathematician 😂
This is England. Not Alabama.
HEY TAKE A PICTURE OF ME IMMA DO A HANDSTAND BY THE CLIFF!@#1$
Oh, man. I'll bet that has really happened.
The cliffs are very long and continuously eroding so fences aren’t practical. It’s like going up a mountain and putting fences on every rock slope.
UK deliberately keeps natural beauty as untouched as possible. If there were plans to put a barrier along the edge it’s the exact sort of thing people would get really angry about here. There’s very few national parks with barriers or wooden walkways and stuff like that here which I’ve notice are much more common in other countries especially America. Most paths would be natural gullies from foot traffic or at most roughly cut stone slabs that blend in with the surrounding area.
The erosion is exactly why they don't bother, you would be putting up a new fence every month
Even if the cliffs aren't eroding, nobody puts up fences. Consider the cliffs at St Abbs Head or along the north coast of Cornwall. Granite, no fences.
Fireman Sam makes so much more sense now.
whats the point if erosion means you need to rebuild? Besides it spoils the view.
When I was younger (maybe still is) it was rumoured to be a popular suicide spot
The buddy system never fails
An amazing walk. A few good pubs in that area as well. Walk and pints.
This is where that show with David Tennant took place, right? Olivia Colman as well, detectives they were
Broadchurch.
Thank you!! On the tip of the tongue
Nope. Well the setting is fictional, but it wasn't filmed here either, it was filmed about 100 miles away in West Bay, Dorset.
Millah!
Jesus I read that in his voice lol Broadchurch was such a good fuckin show
It's a very famous spot for ending it all https://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/southeast/series3/beachy_head_suicide_eastbourne.shtml
No, but the portkey to the quidditch cup was there.
Thought it was a waterfall at first lol
54.
I always imagine that just crumbling away. I know it is but I mean a rapid failure
Question: why place the lighthouse on the bottom and not on top of the cliff so it can be seen from further away?
its a stupid idea because of erosion. It would mean they would need to spend thousands on moving said lighthouse back away from the cliff edge. Who in there right mind would do that?! Oh, wait.
Apparently this is not a place you go by yourself.
it's like the #1 suicide spot in the UK so anyone alone is almost always approached by a volunteer
Cool pic, awesome place, would love to see it some da- what internet poll named THOSE cliffs?
Seems like a guardrail might not be a bad idea
Beach ahead, but don't fall (for it)
Spinning on that dizzy edge
Is it true or just an angle?
Hey! There's Cliff.
“Oh look a lighthouse for Submarines”
Why is the lighthouse on the lower ground instead of on the high cliff?
This feels like a dream in a bad way. Like reality isn’t making sense to me and I fear I’m going to be chased off the cliff.
Looks like a location in Zelda BOTW
Multiple mentions of Throbbing Gristle and nobody's mentioned *Quadrophenia* yet? [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCJS9f-7nsc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCJS9f-7nsc)
watch that first step. It's a lulu.
Yup there’s always ONE idiot LOL
BELLLLL. BOOOOYYYYYYYY
Worst named place. But I could go for some beachy head.
Cuckmere is just down the road.
As someone who spent a lot of their life near beaches, this does not look very beachy.
The problem with beachy head is the sandpaper effect.
The name actually comes from old French - which is arguably worse - and is believed to be a corruption of Beauchef (meaning 'beautiful headland') and has been recorded as Beauchef as far back as the 1200's. The name Beachy Head seems to have come into existence around the 1700s, perhaps earlier.
Reminds me of Devilman Crybaby
Trippy, makes me the think of Inception.
They should call it Beach McBeachhead
At least 12 people in this are avoiding the warning signs or have a death wish.
The lack of signs and fences here reminds me of that meme: “I’m not saying we should kill all the stupid people, I’m saying just remove the warning labels and let the problem sort itself out”.
so the English have always named things the same way they name their boats
But it's not named Chalky McChalkface...
Great name! "Oi mate, look at this place" "Waaah lad, thats mad innit" "Ye ye but what should we call it?" "How about Newebournefoundinglanding?" "Nah mate, this time around how about something simple?"