We’ve been coming to Rye for years. Friends got married here and held their reception at The George. A good friend’s mum had her wedding do at the Mermaid Inn back in the 60s. Another friend’s sister runs Hoof, where the meat comes from their own farm just down the road. So while I won’t pretend I’m a local, this little East Sussex town is woven through a lot of our lives, and we never tire of going back.
Our most recent trip was a stay at nearby Camber Sands, with the kids in tow. We spent days wandering Rye’s cobbled streets, eating our way through its cafes and pubs, and ducking into the castle museum when little legs needed a sit down. If you’re looking for the best things to do in Rye, East Sussex, here’s my guide, from the famous cobbled streets to the food, the beaches nearby and the spots that keep kids happy.
Rye at a glance
- Where: Rye, East Sussex, near the Kent border and the Romney Marsh
- Getting there: around 2 hours from London by train (via Ashford); off the A21 and A268 by car
- How long to spend: half a day for the highlights, a weekend to do it justice
- Best time to visit: late spring and early autumn for mild weather and fewer crowds
- Top free things to do: wander Mermaid Street, walk Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, browse the independent shops
- Top paid attractions: Ypres Tower (around £5 adult, under-16s free), Lamb House (around £10 adult, National Trust members free)
- Best for families: Rye Castle Museum, Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, and Camber Sands beach a short drive away
- Where to eat: Marino’s for fish and chips, The Globe Inn Marsh for a long pub lunch, The Fig for small plates (book ahead)
- Good to know: the streets are steep and cobbled, so wear comfortable shoes with grip
- Close by: Camber Sands beach (4.5 miles), Winchelsea (2 miles), Dungeness (under 10 miles), Hastings (under 20 min by train)
Where is Rye and how do you get there?
Rye sits in the far east of East Sussex, close to the Kent border, about an hour from the coast at Camber Sands and a short hop from the Romney Marsh. It’s roughly two hours from London by train, with a direct line from St Pancras via Ashford, or you can drive down off the A21 and A268.
The town itself is tiny and best explored on foot. Be warned: the streets are steep and cobbled, so leave the smart shoes at home and bring something with grip. There are several paid car parks a few minutes’ walk from the centre if you’re driving.
A little history: smugglers, Cinque Ports and silted harbours
Rye’s charm is bound up in its rich history. Once a leading member of the Cinque Ports confederation, it was a working port on the English Channel, providing ships and defence for the crown, until the sea slowly retreated and left the town stranded above the marsh it overlooks today. That shifting coastline shaped everything: the silted harbours, the defensive towers, the wealth that built the half-timbered houses you see leaning over the cobbles.
By the 18th century, smuggling was rife. Contraband tea, brandy and tobacco moved through the town’s tunnels and taverns, and the notorious Hawkhurst Gang used the Mermaid Inn as a stronghold. Sitting above the River Rother, with the Romney Marsh stretching east and the sea to the south, Rye has long drawn writers and artists too, from Henry James to the comedian Spike Milligan, who fell for the area in the 1950s and is buried nearby at Winchelsea.
To get your bearings on all of it, the Rye Heritage Centre on Strand Quay is a good first stop. Housed in an old sail loft, it’s home to the hand-built ‘Story of Rye’ Town Model, which uses sound and light to tell 700 years of the town’s history in a 20-minute show. The model is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2026, and there’s a vintage penny arcade downstairs that the kids will love.
The best things to do in Rye, East Sussex
For such a small place, there’s a lot to see and do in Rye. Here are the best things to do in Rye, from its famous cobbled streets and medieval towers to the nature reserve on its doorstep. It’s one of the most rewarding (and prettiest) little towns to explore in the UK, and easy to cover on foot in a day or two.
Wander Mermaid Street (and actually look up)
If you’ve seen a photo of Rye, it was almost certainly Mermaid Street. This steep cobbled lane, lined with crooked timber-framed houses and Georgian fronts, is one of the most photographed streets in the country, and it earns the title.
Look out for the house plaques with names like ‘The House with Two Front Doors’ and ‘The House Opposite’, a nod to a time when reading wasn’t a given. The best view is from the top, looking down the slope towards the Mermaid Inn sign.
Top tip: come early or late if you want it to yourself. By mid-morning, it fills up with people angling for the same photo, and the cobbles aren’t kind if you’re trying to dodge crowds.
Step inside the Mermaid Inn
Halfway up Mermaid Street stands the Mermaid Inn, and you don’t have to stay the night to soak up its atmosphere. The cellars date back to 1156, and the building you see today was rebuilt in 1420 after French raiders burned the town. In the 1700s, it was a known haunt of the Hawkhurst Gang, a notorious smuggling outfit that reportedly sat at the bar with their pistols out on the table.
It’s also said to be one of the most haunted inns in Britain, with sightings reported in pretty much every room. Pop into the Giant’s Fireplace Bar for a drink and a look at the secret passageway entrance. My friend’s mum had her wedding reception here in the 1960s, and it’s not hard to see why; the place drips with history.
Climb Ypres Tower at Rye Castle Museum
For a town this size, Rye has a lot of history, and Ypres Tower is where you’ll find most of it. Built around 1249, this stone tower has been a fort, a prison, a courthouse and even a morgue over its 750-odd years. Today it’s part of Rye Castle Museum, with three floors of medieval pottery, smuggling tales and a recreated herb garden where the prison exercise yard used to be.
The kids liked the gibbet (complete with replica skeleton) and the model boats, and there’s a children’s quiz that kept ours busy. Mind your head on the low doorways and the spiral staircase. Climb to the roof for panoramic views across the rooftops, out over the River Rother to the marsh and sea.
Ypres Tower: open daily, roughly 10.30am–5pm from late March to October, and 10.30am–3.30pm through winter. Adults around £5, under-16s free with an adult. The second museum site on East Street opens weekends April to October.
Visit Lamb House, where Henry James wrote
Just off the top of Mermaid Street is Lamb House, a red-brick Georgian townhouse with a famous literary past. The American novelist Henry James lived here from the late 1890s and wrote some of his best-known work in its rooms. After his death, the writer E.F. Benson moved in, and Rye went on to become the fictional “Tilling” of his Mapp and Lucia novels.
It’s run by the National Trust, and the walled garden out the back is one of the largest in the old town, a calm spot away from the busier streets. The house is on the smaller side and leans towards literary fans, but the garden alone is worth the visit on a warm day.
Lamb House: open Friday to Tuesday, around 11am–5pm, March to October. Admission roughly £10 adult, £5 child, free for National Trust members. Check the latest before you go, as opening days vary by season.
Get out to Rye Harbour Nature Reserve
When the town starts to feel busy, head two miles south to Rye Harbour Nature Reserve. This sweep of shingle, saltmarsh and lagoons covers an area of around 600 football pitches and is home to more than 4,000 recorded species, with five bird hides dotted along flat, easy paths.
It’s a brilliant antidote to cobbles and crowds, with wide skies and sea air. The paths are mostly flat and pushchair-friendly, so it works with kids and grandparents alike. Stop at the Discovery Centre, which opened in 2021, for the Lime Kiln Café, homemade cakes and big windows looking out over the reserve.
Top tip: it’s free to enter and park (donations welcome), and dogs are allowed on leads. Bring a jacket; it can get very windy out there. Flowers are at their best from late May to July.
Climb St Mary’s Church tower
In the centre of town, St Mary’s Parish Church has a bell tower you can climb for one of the best views in Rye. From the top, you get panoramic views over the higgledy rooftops, across the marsh towards Rye Harbour, and on a clear day you can see all the way to France. It’s a short climb but a steep one, up narrow stairs, and a lovely way to get your bearings before you wander. Look out for the church’s 16th-century turret clock, one of the oldest still working in the country.
Just wander, shop and eat cake
Honestly, some of our happiest hours in Rye have been spent doing very little. Pottering in and out of the independent shops, antique stores and art galleries. Picking up cakes. Following a side street to see where it goes. The town is perfect for aimless wandering, and with the beach so close by, you can easily pair a morning of shops with an afternoon on the sand. Or vice versa.
The streets are lined with half-timbered houses and quirky details worth slowing down for. The lion door knockers, the painted house names, the ivy-draped fronts. Mermaid Street gets the attention, but Watchbell Street, Church Square and the alleys off the High Street are just as photogenic and far quieter. Bookshops, ceramics, homewares and vintage finds fill the independent shopfronts, so leave time for a proper browse.
Things to do in Rye with kids
Rye is known for being a foodie haven, and it’s pretty, too. But there’s plenty to keep children happy, which we put to the test on our last trip. Here’s what works with kids in tow.
Explore the castle and fire the cannon
Rye Castle Museum (Ypres Tower) is a winner. It’s hands-on in a way kids love: they can heft a medieval sword, test how hard a crossbow is to draw, peer into the old cells and find the skeleton swinging in its chains. Ours liked the model boats and the children’s quiz, too, and under-16s go free.
Just outside, on the gun garden green, a row of cannon points out towards the sea with pyramids of cannonballs stacked alongside. You can’t actually fire them, but that won’t stop anyone pretending to repel a French invasion, which kept ours busy for a good while.
Climb St Mary’s tower for the bells
Older kids who can manage the narrow stairs will like climbing the tower at St Mary’s for the views out across the rooftops to Romney Marsh. There’s a good story to tell them on the way up: when French raiders looted Rye in 1377, they made off with the church bells, and the following year men from Rye and Winchelsea sailed across the Channel and took them back. Look out for the 16th-century turret clock, one of the oldest still working in the country.
Spot the Landgate and quirky house names
Turn exploring into a game. Hunt for the quirky house names on Mermaid Street (The House with Two Front Doors’, ‘The House Opposite’) and the lion door knockers dotted around the lanes. Don’t miss the Landgate, the last surviving medieval gate, built in the 14th century on the orders of Edward III, where you can imagine the portcullis and drawbridge that once kept invaders out. For older kids, a self-guided treasure trail around the town turns the history into a mystery to solve over an hour or so.
Treat them at Knoops
Right by the Landgate is Knoops, and here’s a fun fact for the kids. This little shop was the very first Knoops, opened back in 2013 before the brand spread across the country. They serve more than 20 chocolate strengths, from 28% white to a serious 100% dark, as hot chocolate, milkshakes or iced chocolate, with vegan options too. On a warm day, look out for the white chocolate ice cream. A perfect rainy-day pick-me-up, or any day, frankly.
Run wild at Rye Harbour and the beach
Rye Harbour Nature Reserve is great for burning off energy, spotting birds (almost 300 species recorded) and getting some sea air, with flat paths that suit scooters and little legs. If you’re lucky, you might even spot a seal. And the Story of Rye Town Model at the Heritage Centre, with its sound-and-light show and downstairs penny arcade, is a fun way to get everyone up to speed on the town’s history before you head out.
Cycle to Camber Sands
If your kids are confident on two wheels, the mostly flat, traffic-free Rye Ride cycle route starts at the railway station and runs across the River Rother towards Camber, passing little lakes (herons, if you’re lucky) before delivering you to the beach. You can hire bikes, child seats and helmets locally if you haven’t brought your own.
The simple stuff
The biggest hits are often the smallest pleasures. Our kids’ favourite stops were an ice cream from the window at Mermaid Street Café and cake at Cobbles Tea Room. With the cobbled streets to explore and Camber Sands a short drive away, you can easily build a day that keeps everyone happy.
Where to eat and drink in Rye
This is where Rye really shines. For such a small town, the food scene is excellent, and most of it is independent and locally sourced. Local ingredients do a lot of the heavy lifting on menus here: Romney Marsh lamb, Rye Bay scallops (in season), freshly caught fish from the harbour and produce from the surrounding farms all feature heavily. These are the places we come back to.
Whitehouse
The spot for breakfast and brunch. Set in a Grade II listed building on the High Street, Whitehouse is an all-day café with a sourdough bakery downstairs, so the smell of fresh bread greets you at the door. The brunch menu is generous and a cut above, with smoothies and juices included, and it gets busy at weekends, so go early. They also do rooms upstairs (more on that below), and it’s dog-friendly if you’ve got a four-legged one in tow.
The Apothecary
Where we had lunch on our last trip, and it’s a lovely spot for it. Set in an old building on the High Street with curved windows looking onto the street, it’s all mismatched vintage furniture, armchairs and a slightly bohemian feel, the kind of place you settle into. The paninis and sandwiches are fresh and generous, and the cakes on display by the door are hard to walk past. Grab the window seat if it’s free and watch the world go by over a coffee.
Marino’s fish and chips
A must on every Rye trip. This traditional licensed chippy on The Mint has been a Rye institution for years, with fish cooked fresh to order and chips done just right, crisp outside, fluffy inside. You can eat in, take away, or grab a table in the little courtyard out the back. It often looks busy, but they’ll always try to accommodate you, and the welcome is as warm as the food. Phone ahead with a takeaway order if you’d rather skip the queue.
The Globe Inn Marsh
Our favourite pub in Rye, and tellingly, it’s away from the main drag, out where the Royal Military Canal meets the River Rother. It’s a pretty clapperboard place with quirky interiors and a kitchen built around local field, farm and sea produce. We’ve happily sat here for an entire afternoon, food, drinks, games and all. There’s a good range of local beers and a long gin list, too.
The Fig
A go-to of ours for small plates and tapas-style dishes, all fresh, colourful and full of flavour. Think tuna ceviche, croquettes, tacos and griddled goat’s cheese, the sort of menu where you order a stack of plates and share the lot. Vegan and gluten-free options are handled well, too. It’s a cosy, low-lit little spot on the High Street with a single intimate dining room, which is part of the charm but also why you’ll want to book ahead for dinner, or risk disappointment. Brunch and lunch are walk-in only, so time those for a quieter moment. There are even a few rooms upstairs if you fall for the place.
Hoof
A bit of a personal one for us. Our close friend’s sister and her husband own Hoof, a burger and steak restaurant where the beef and potatoes come from their own farm on Romney Marsh, just four miles away. That farm-to-plate traceability is rare, and you taste it. The burgers are the signature, the rib-eye is worth the splurge, and the kids will make a beeline for the freakshakes. Book ahead for weekends.
Cobbles Tea Room
A lovely tea room tucked away in the back lanes, and one of our kids’ favourites. It’s just the ticket for tea and cake and a sit-down when the cobbles have done their worst on tired legs. Expect proper loose-leaf teas, homemade cakes and scones, and the kind of cosy, unhurried atmosphere that makes you want to stick around for a while. A welcome pause halfway round the town.
Mermaid Street Café
Grab an ice cream from the window here; it became a daily ritual on our last trip, and the kids would happily have gone twice a day. The milkshakes are particularly good too. Beyond the sweet stuff, it’s a great little café at the bottom of Mermaid Street doing coffee, freshly baked pastries, homemade sausage rolls, quiches and cakes, with a terrace and a spot to sit outside. An easy stop before or after the climb up the famous street.
Jempson’s
I have a soft spot for Jempson’s, the family-run supermarket that’s been a fixture in these parts for generations. It’s a good shout for stocking up on supplies, fresh bread from the in-store bakery, local cheeses and picnic bits, especially handy if you’re self-catering at Camber Sands. Doing your food shopping here rather than at a big chain is also the easy way to support a proper independent while you’re at it.
The George in Rye
A 16th-century coaching inn on the High Street, dating back to 1575, and now the smartest place in town for a drink or a meal. Our friends held their wedding reception here, so it holds a special place for us. A serious fire in 2019 saw it beautifully restored and reopened in 2022, all reclaimed materials, antiques and design-magazine touches, so it feels fresh without losing its history. Settle into the relaxed bar for a glass of Sussex wine, or eat at the George Grill, where the wood-charcoal kitchen turns out Rye Harbour seafood, Romney Marsh lamb and grass-fed beef. The Sunday roast is very popular with locals, too.
Top tip: if you’re keeping costs down, do as we do and shop at the local Jempson’s for breakfast and picnic bits, then save your money for one or two standout meals out.
Beaches and towns close to Rye
One of the best things about Rye is its setting. You’ve got sandy beaches, a wild shingle headland and a string of historic towns all within a short drive or train ride, which makes it an easy base for a longer trip. Here’s what’s worth your time nearby.
Camber Sands
The obvious one, and where we based ourselves. Just 4.5 miles south-east of Rye, Camber Sands is the only sand dune system in East Sussex, a bucket-and-spade stretch of soft golden sand backed by rolling dunes. The dunes themselves are part of the fun: kids disappear into them for hide-and-seek, and they shelter the beach from the wind. It’s brilliant for families, kite-surfers and anyone who just wants to flop on the sand. There’s a regular bus from Rye if you’re not driving. It gets very busy on hot summer weekends, so arrive early for a parking space.
Winchelsea
Just 2 miles from Rye sits Winchelsea, a tiny medieval hilltop town that lays claim to being the smallest town in Britain, on the basis that it still has its own mayor and corporation. Laid out on a grid under Edward I in 1288, it was once a thriving wine port before the sea retreated. It’s a quiet, pretty spot for a wander, with a handsome church, ancient gates and a network of medieval cellars beneath the streets. A lovely contrast to Rye’s busier lanes.
Rye Harbour and Camber Castle
Beyond the nature reserve, the flat paths between Rye and Winchelsea lead to Camber Castle, an artillery fort built for Henry VIII from 1539 to defend the coast from French invasion. Silting left it stranded inland within a century, and it now sits quietly among the marsh, cared for by English Heritage. It’s not always open inside, but the walk out to it across the reserve is reason enough to go.
Dungeness
Under 10 miles east, across the Kent border, Dungeness is one of the strangest, most photographed landscapes in the country: a vast shingle headland dotted with fishing huts, lighthouses and Derek Jarman’s famous Prospect Cottage garden. There’s a miniature railway, a couple of cult cafes and big, brooding skies. Unlike anywhere else nearby.
Hastings
Under 20 minutes from Rye by train, Hastings is a classic seaside town with an atmospheric Old Town, fishing huts, the West Hill Cliff Railway and the Smugglers Adventure caves buried in the cliffs. Good for a rainy day or a change of pace from Rye’s quieter charm.
Bodiam Castle and Battle
For a day further afield, Bodiam Castle is a fairytale 14th-century moated castle (National Trust) about 30 minutes’ drive away, with turrets to climb and a moat to circle, and it’s a stop on the heritage Kent and East Sussex Railway. Around 35 minutes away, the market town of Battle marks the site of the 1066 Battle of Hastings, where you can walk the battlefield and the ruined Battle Abbey, both cared for by English Heritage, before browsing a high street of independent shops.
Where to stay in Rye and Camber Sands
You could happily visit Rye on a day trip, but it comes alive in the early evening once the day-trippers leave, so it’s worth staying over if you can. There are two obvious bases: the town itself, or the beach at Camber Sands a few minutes’ drive away.
Staying in Rye town
For history and atmosphere, you can’t beat sleeping inside the old town. The Mermaid Inn offers the full timber-framed, possibly haunted experience right on Mermaid Street, and it’s one of the few places in the centre with its own parking. The George in Rye is the smarter, boutique-coaching-inn option on the High Street. For something more relaxed, Whitehouse has six characterful B&B rooms above its bakery and café, each named after a baked good, with that standout breakfast included and the smell of fresh sourdough to wake up to. All three put you within stumbling distance of the cobbles, the shops and the restaurants.
Staying at Camber Sands
If you’re travelling with kids, Camber Sands is hard to beat. It’s the only sandy dune beach in East Sussex, a proper bucket-and-spade affair, and it’s where we based ourselves on our last trip. You’re a short drive from Rye and Rye Harbour, with the best of both: beach days and town days. There’s a good spread of self-catering cottages and holiday homes around Camber, many of them dog-friendly, which makes it easy to do a relaxed family week.
How long should you spend in Rye?
You can see the headline sights in a day. But if I’ve learned anything from our trips, it’s that Rye is better unhurried. A night or two lets you catch the town at its calmest, in the early morning and the evening, and gives you time for a harbour walk, a proper lunch and a beach day at Camber without watching the clock.
Best time to visit Rye
Rye is lovely year-round, but late spring and early autumn hit the sweet spot: mild weather, the nature reserve in bloom from late May, and fewer crowds than peak summer. Summer weekends get busy, and Mermaid Street can feel like a queue for a photo. Even Ypres Tower stays open through winter, so a crisp off-season day with a pub lunch is no bad thing either.
Things to do in Rye, East Sussex: frequently asked questions
What are the best things to do in Rye?
The best things to do in Rye, East Sussex are wandering Mermaid Street and the cobbled old town, climbing Ypres Tower at Rye Castle Museum, visiting Lamb House, walking Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, and eating your way through the town’s independent cafes, pubs and bakeries. With Camber Sands and Winchelsea close by, it’s easy to fill a weekend.
Is Rye worth visiting?
Yes. It’s one of the prettiest and best-preserved medieval towns in England, with a brilliant food scene, a famous cobbled street, and the coast and nature reserve on its doorstep. It’s compact enough for a day but rewarding enough for a weekend.
Is Rye good for a day trip?
It works well as a day trip from London or the Sussex and Kent coast, and you can cover Mermaid Street, Ypres Tower and a good lunch in a few hours. That said, the town is at its best early and late, so an overnight stay is worth it if you can.
How much time do you need in Rye?
Half a day covers the main sights. A full day lets you add the nature reserve or Lamb House. A weekend lets you slow right down and fit in a beach day at Camber Sands too.
Is Rye good for families?
Yes. Between Rye Castle Museum, the cannon on the green, the nature reserve, hot chocolate at Knoops and the nearby beach at Camber Sands, there’s plenty to keep children entertained alongside the food and history. A treasure trail or the Town Model show is a good way to bring history to life for younger ones.
Can you walk everywhere in Rye?
The town centre is small and very walkable, though the streets are steep and cobbled, so wear comfortable shoes. For Rye Harbour Nature Reserve and Camber Sands, you’ll want to drive, cycle or catch a bus.
Things to do in Rye, East Sussex: the short version
If you only take away one thing, let it be this: the best things to do in Rye reward slowing down. Wander Mermaid Street first thing before the crowds. Climb Ypres Tower for the history and the views. Get out to Rye Harbour for sea air and birds. Eat well, at The Globe Inn Marsh, The Fig and Hoof, don’t miss the fish and chips at Marino’s, and don’t skip the ice cream at Mermaid Street Café. Then slow down. Rye isn’t a place to tick off; it’s a place to settle into.