Back in the 12th and 13th centuries, Rye was one of the most heavily fortified places on the south coast, but today this East Sussex town is arguably the prettiest and quaintest spot on this part of the British coastline.
Sitting proudly on a low hill overlooking the surrouding landscape and the English Channel a short distance away, the town first gained prominence as one of the Cinque Ports – the five towns along the coast that were to supply ships to the Crown in case of war. The accompanying relaxation of rules around duties and tariffs that were recompense for this demand benefited Rye in many different ways – not least of which was to turn it into a centre for smuggling and other nefarious activities…
You can still see some elements of the old fortifications in several spots around the town – the most prominent examples are the museum building (which occupies the 13th century Ypres Tower at the top of the town) and the ‘Landgate’, one of the four fortified entrances that protected the town from potential invaders. Wander the charming cobbled streets and you’ll find countless old buildings – 15th century pubs jostle for space next to distinctive Tudor buildings with their blackened oak frames that themselves abut handsome Georgian townhouses. Mermaid St in particular presents the kind of bucolic scene that biscuit tin manufacturers the world over would probably kill for…
Fortunately, despite its ancient trappings Rye isn’t pickled in aspic – despite their age, this collection of clapboard and half-timbered buildings seem to have no problem in accommodating antique shops, galleries and trendy fashion boutiques, or indeed the town’s innumerable fish restaurants! If you want to see something really unique pop along to Soldiers Of Rye, which is one of very few shops in the country entirely dedicated to the sale of model soldiers (the only other one that I can recollect is located within the grounds of Wellington Barracks in Central London).
I think it’s fair to say that no visit to the East Sussex coast is complete without a trip to Rye – it’s magical…
