24 hours in Rye
Why the historic East Sussex harbour town makes a perfect weekend away
If you are looking for your next weekend away, or a “bolt-on” side trip to a visit to London, then the historic East Sussex harbour town of Rye, is your answer.
Whether you are drawn to its pretty cobbled streets, harbourside nature walks, restaurants, or spooky smuggler’s history, Rye is a lovely place to visit for a day, or weekend.
In East Sussex, on the south coast between Hastings and Dungeness, Rye is a very pretty town – its cobbled streets rising up a hill, overlooking the harbour on one side and the High Weald medieval landscape on the other.
It’s full of pubs, restaurants and cafes and has a thriving high street, undoubtedly kept alive by the many tourists who head there, with its ye olde sweet shops and craft stores. There are multiple antique shops to mooch about in, too. The medieval Cinque Port was once on the coast, but is now set back from the harbour and beaches - the most popular of which is nearby Camber Sands. This is a wide sandy beach which is very busy in the summer months. If you do go, I advise getting there early, before car parks fill up.
We visited Rye, which is fairly local to us, over Easter and spent many happy hours wandering around and soaking in its atmosphere. This was the centre of smuggling operations in the 18th century and the hub of the fearsome Hawkhurst Gang, who ruled the region in a reign of terror, with their HQ in The Mermaid Inn, which you can still stay in (see below).
You can walk around its nature reserve harbour, taking in the natural landscape, all the way to the rocky Winchelsea Beach, then back to the cafes and pubs clustered around Rye Harbour (a separate settlement to the town itself).
We headed to the National Trust Lamb House, which was home to many notables over the years, including author Henry James and later E.F. Benson. The latter wrote Mapp & Lucia there and the lovely townhouse was used to film the 2014 BBC series. It’s a modest property, with an exhibition upstairs and one or two rooms set out to honour its former occupants. The walled garden – Mapp & Lucia fans will recognise it – is beautiful and a tranquil spot to spend a few hours.
For those who want to stay longer, the smart 16th century Grade II-listed coaching inn The George in Rye sits squarely in the town and was recently voted one of the most romantic places to stay in Britain by The Sunday Times. Likewise, the 600-year-old The Mermaid Inn is reputedly one of the most haunted places in the UK and a memorable place to stay. A little further out, there’s the hip retreat The Gallivant, which is getting great reviews.
It’s also worth making the time to visit nearby Winchelsea, which is an astonishingly beautiful, medieval town perched atop a neighbouring hill. Winchelsea was once a major centre for the medieval wine trade and now counts itself as the smallest town in England.
As for us, we like to swim at Camber Sands or Pett Level on a sunny day, take a wander round Rye Harbour nature reserve and stop for fish and chips, or grab a coffee in Rye. It’s a beautiful part of the world and you won’t be disappointed.
The Travel List
How to get there: Rye is around an hour and a half drive from London, via the A21 or M20. It has a train station in the centre of town and trains take around 1 hr – 1 hr 30 mins, via Ashford.
Where to stay: The George in Rye, thegeorgeinrye.com; The Mermaid Inn, mermaidinn.com
For more information: Visit discoversussex.org, Winchelsea.com
Just had to comment here as we went camping last week near Hastings and had a great afternoon on Camber Sands. Also went to Dungeness too - have you ever been their, it's a an odd spot! Thanks for sharing I am subscribing for more travel tips.
Wait. There was a re-make of Mapp & Lucia in 2014?!