Introducing the historic town of Rye, East Sussex:
“This ancient town is compact as a little City, stored with Buildings.
The Town is of beautiful Prospect to look upon any way.”
~SAMUEL JEAKE I, 1678~
(first historian of Rye)
This enchanting little town sits on a rocky outcrop in East Sussex on the South Coast of the UK and is one of the famous Cinque Ports (which originally consisted of the five ports of Dover, Hastings, Hythe, Romney and Sandwich.)
I was first introduced to its magic as a child when I used to spend lots of time with our elderly nextdoor neighbours (I affectionately called them my ‘Adopted Grandparents’) They spent many holidays in nearby Winchelsea and they would tell me all about where they went and what they saw; even as a child I grasped that it was a very special place and I couldn’t wait to visit it myself one day. I think I was about 7 or 8 when I persuaded Mum & Dad to take me there for a birthday treat and I immediately fell under its unique spell.
I can’t believe my luck that I now live close enough to visit whenever I want. The lovely thing about Rye is that even after many years we still keep discovering new places we haven’t seen before and it always feels like a mini holiday whenever we visit…and we visit a lot! It’s like a step back in time.
The citadel itself consists of a maze of narrow, cobbled streets dating back to 1289, providing a vivid sense of history around every corner. Here you will discover a variety of shops and art galleries; most of them are unique sole traders offering local art & craft, gifts, clothes, books…you name it, you’ll find it!
However it’s the choice of places to eat and drink that keeps drawing Tim & I back time after time. If you’ve read “From Cancer To Coddiwomple”, you will know that we are rather partial to tea & cake or a glass of wine
Rye has an abundance of small cafes, restaurants and pubs tucked away in its narrow streets. It would be impossible to choose one favourite we’re always discovering new ones, but we do love sitting by the river on a warm summer’s evening eating fish & chips, or enjoying a glass of wine in one of the old pubs such as The Mermaid Inn or The Old Bell. (It’s surprising really that Tim and I aren’t the size of houses!)
Just outside of the main town is Rye Harbour and this is a little community all of its own. There is an eclectic collection of buildings including the RNLI station, pubs and of course a couple of cafes such as The Discovery Centre and The Bosun’s Bite. The Nature Reserve there provides flat, easy walks set against a backdrop of lakes and ponds buzzing with wildlife and framed by an abundance of flora and fauna. A walk here can certainly blow the metaphorical cobwebs away and clear your head. I’ve also lost count of how many photographs I’ve taken of the Red Roof Hut.
Winchelsea Beach is only a few miles away, between Rye and Hastings and I call its beach ‘My Happy Place‘. It’s one of my favourite locations to paint, especially at low tide or when the sun is glinting on the cliffs at Fairlight. The skies are vast and it’s sometimes difficult to tell where the sky and sea meet. If you like a good strenuous walk then check out the walk from Fairlight to Hastings via The Fire Hills.
Do you have your favourite places? I’d love to hear about them so that we can all inspire each other to explore. Please do share them on my Facebook page: The Coddiwomple Lady, and on Instagram wendyj_thecoddiwomplelady using the hashtag #MyCoddiwomples.