England 2004: Rye Photo Tour

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Rye's train station, where our journey to Rye begins. Rye is approximately 2 hours southeast of London via train, and lies on the midpoint of the Ashford to Hastings line.

Conduit Hill, one of many cobblestone streets in the quaint town of Rye.

The Landgate, built in the 1380's, is the only gateway that remains from the days when Rye was a walled town.

Hilder's Cliff offers panoramic views of Rye and the surrounding countryside. On a clear day, you can see the coast of France on the horizon. The man on the right was not Bill Clinton - though he's a dead ringer from behind.

Rye's Augustinian Friary dates to 1378, and is now a pottery works.

8 High Street is a good example of "mathematical tile," used to simulate brickwork. It now houses Adams of Rye, a fine general store which publishes the guide used for this photo tour.

Fletcher's House. This building dates to c. 1509 and was home to John Fletcher, who cowrote "Two Noble Kinsmen" with William Shakespeare. The building is now home to The Fletcher Tea Rooms, one of the best places to eat in Rye.

The Parish Church of St. Mary the Virgin. The parish dates to 1103, although the present structure was mostly built between 1377 and 1500.

One of the chapels inside the Church of St. Mary the Virgin.

Stained glass inside the Church of St. Mary the Virgin.

Collecting the donation to enter St. Mary's clock tower are Clive and his handsome greyhound, Joe.

"The Bells of St. Mary's" - visible as you ascend the clock tower.

A view of Rye from St. Mary's clock tower. In the distance, the river Rother winds towards the north-east.

Looking south from St. Mary's clock tower. From here you can see the Ypres Tower, the Methodist Church, and the River Rother heading south towards the English Channel.

Vertigo! Viewing the streets of Rye from St. Mary's clock tower. One of the gold "quarter boys" waits to strike the quarter hour, while a dove peers out from behind him.

Another view from St. Mary's clock tower, this time from behind the other "quarter boy."

One last view from St. Mary's clock tower, with part of the church itself visible in the foreground.

Rye's "water house," a 1735 structure that still supplies clean water to the town.

A view of St. Mary's Church Square. Near the centre of the picture, you can see the Great War Cross, which commemorates soldiers lost in World War I.

Ypres Tower, built in 1249 to defend the town from foreign invaders. From 1518 to 1865, it was used as the town's prison. It now houses the Ypres Castle Museum.

The Gun Garden behind Ypres Tower. Artillery was stationed there during the battle with the Spanish Armada in 1588. The current cannons were presented to Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, on her 80th birthday in 1980.

Rye's Methodist Church. Rye's Methodist community was formed in 1756 and were addressed by John Wesley in 1758.

Former home to The Friars of the Sack, who settled in Rye in 1263.

St. Anthony in Rye's church square, an excellent example of late medeival architecture.

St. Anthony's Catholic Church. This building is relatively new (1929) and was designed as a "cathedral in miniature."

The Strand, Rye's former trading area and now mainly populated by warehouses.

Mermaid Street, Rye. With its medeival houses and cobblestoned street, Mermaid Street embodies the romantic notion of "Merrie Olde England."

Hartshorn House on Mermaid Street. Built in 1576, this was once Rye's hospital.

Jeake's House (right) on Mermaid Street, built in 1689-1690 and now an excellent bed & breakfast. We spent the first three nights of our vacation here.

The world-famous Mermaid Inn (16th century), once the haunt of smugglers and now a hotel and restaurant.

Lamb House, one of Rye's most storied addresses. The writer Henry James ("Portrait of a Lady," "The Europeans," "The Turn of the Screw," et al) lived here from 1898 to 1916. Later, author E. F. Benson (of "Mapp and Lucia" fame) lived here while serving as Rye's mayor.

A plaque at Lamb House reminds us that Henry James lived here.

Did we mention that Henry James lived at Lamb House? "I don't care where Henry James lived. I'm hungry. I want to know where he ate!" - Woody Allen, "Small Time Crooks."

Rye's Old Customs House with its crooked chimney. St' Mary's Church is in the background.

A busy day on Rye's High Street.

Our photo tour ends at Rye's Heritage Centre, home to the wonderful Rye Town Model, a miniature recreation of 19th Century Rye.

Rye Photo Tour - We spent 10 days in Rye, East Sussex: 3 nights in Jeake's House Bed and Breakfast, and 7 nights in Smuggler's Cottage self-catering house.  In many ways, Rye is the quintessential "Ye Old English Towne."

For this photo album, I used the town tour suggested by "Adams' Rye Guide" (1997).  The building descriptions come from this guide.

For more information on Rye and surroundings, visit the following links:

• Rye
• Camber Castle
• Jeake's House (B&B, Rye)
• Rye Harbour Nature Reserve
• Rye Town Model
• Smuggler's Cottage (Self-Cater Accomodation, Rye)