Things to do in Rye

This is a town steeped in history. Rye Castle Museum, which was originally a bottling factory, boasts a unique 18th century fire engine, relics from the town’s shipbuilding past, and a display showing how the coastline has changed over the past thousand years.

Visit Rye Heritage Centre, housed in a converted 19th century sail loft. Here you’ll find a hand built scale model of Victorian Rye that brings to life 700 years of the town’s rich history and folklore. You can also play with more than 30 vintage pre-decimal amusement machines, including such classics as The Laughing Sailor and What the Butler Saw.

Down the hill is Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, with a good network of accessible footpaths criss-crossing its saltmarsh and shingle ridges, and wonderful views across to Camber Sands and the cliffs of Hastings Country Park. It’s a twitcher’s paradise, with five hides provided for watching the wildlife. Look out for corn buntings and whimbrel flocks, bitterns and egrets, circling lapwings, dragonflies, damselflies and marsh frogs. In fact 4,275 species have been recorded in the reserve so far, including more than 300 that are considered rare and endangered in Britain.