Rye is one of England’s fairytale towns — the kind of place international visitors imagine when they picture a quintessential English village.
The whole town is a conservation area, and everywhere you look are timber-framed houses, centuries-old pubs, and sweeping views across the marshes to the sea. It all feels like stepping back in time, just an hour away from London, and makes for an excellent day trip or weekend break.
This guide covers the best things to do in Rye, plus where to stay, eat, and explore nearby.
Top 10 things to do in Rye
1. Wander Rye’s medieval streets
The magic of Rye lies in simply exploring its charming, ancient streets. Mermaid Street is the star attraction, one of England’s most photographed streets, with timbered houses tumbling down a hillside.
Elsewhere are less crowded but equally beautiful spots – like Watchbell Street, with panoramic views over the saltmarshes, and quirky cutthroughs like Needles Passage, tucked away between centuries-old houses.
Rye is only a small place, but the more you explore, the more it rewards you. Check out my self-guided historic walking tour of Rye.
2. Rye Heritage Centre
Rye’s heritage centre, just around the corner from the famous Mermaid Street, is well worth a quick stop, especially for first time visitors.
Its main attraction (and the only part of the centre you need to pay for) is the stunning hand-built scale model of the town. It takes up a whole room, painstakingly hand crafted by a retired local couple in the 1970s. They meticulously researched how the town would have looked a hundred years earlier in 1870, meaning it’s an exact replica of how the town used to look.
A 15 minute audiovisual show incorporates the model to tell the story of Rye. It’s really great, and a wonderful introduction to the town if it’s your first stop.
The heritage centre also has a good shop with Rye related gifts and second hand books. Upstairs are some exhibitions about the town and a ‘smugglers den’. By the entrance are some cool old (like really old) arcade machines you can play with old pennies.
£5 entry for audiovisual show. Rest of centre is free. Visit website.
3. Ypres Tower & Museum
One of Rye’s oldest buildings and most famous sights, Ypres Tower was built sometime in the 13th or 14th century to defend the town. It went on to spend several hundred years as a prison. The site is immaculately well preserved – but note that this means it’s not fully accessible. The staircases are very windy, narrow and uneven!
Inside are exhibitions about the history of the town and tower, including its relationship with smuggling, plus armour and replica medieval weapons. You can also see some of the tower’s cells, from when it was used as a prison, including the ‘Women’s Tower’ for female inmates. There’s also a viewing platform with vistas over the salt marshes. Entry is £5 for adults, and free for under 16s.
Nearby (confusingly not actually in the castle) is Rye Castle Museum, which has the main bulk of the museum’s collection, telling the story of the town and its key industries. Entry to the museum is free, but it’s only open on weekends and shut out of season.
4. St Mary’s Church & Tower
Rye’s ancient main church dominates the city’s skyline. It’s sometimes called the ‘Cathedral of East Sussex’ because of its size and importance, and has been a prominent landmark in the town for 900 years. You can still see some of its ancient Norman stonework.
As well as its beauty and historical significance, the church is worth visiting for the tower. For a £5 admission fee you can climb up its rickety, uneven steps for the best views in town.
There are two other especially interesting things about St Mary’s Church:
- Its clock, one of the oldest working church clocks in the country
- For being the site of a murder in the 18th century – local butcher John Breads murdered the town’s deputy mayor Allen Grebel in the graveyard (he’d actually meant to kill James Lamb, the mayor). Breads was executed, and his corpse displayed in a Gibbet for many years. This is still kept in the nearby town hall.
5. Browse Rye’s independent shops
Part of Rye’s charm is its continuing independent, quirky spirit. This is reflected through its shops – you’ll find everything from antiques to artisan chocolate tucked inside crooked old buildings.
Some of the most popular spots including artisan chocolatiers Rye Chocolates, Ethel Loves Me which showcases local creatives, and Grammar School Records inside the old grammar school. Read a guide to shopping in Rye here.
6. Visit Rye’s ancient atmospheric pubs
A pint in one of Rye’s centuries-old inns is a must, especially if you’re spending a night. The town is home to some of the oldest pubs in the country – haunted, medieval drinking holes, once frequented by smugglers.
The best pubs in Rye:
- The Mermaid Inn: Rye’s most famous pub, over half a millennia old. Legend has it that the infamous smugglers the Hawkhurst Gang used to drink in here, and that it’s connected by a secret passageway to the next pub on this list – the Old Bell.
- The Old Bell: Another of Rye’s most historic pubs, packed with atmosphere.
- The Ypres Castle Inn: An old timey pub at the foot of the Ypres Tower, with great craft beer options. Ancient wooden interiors, and a large beer garden with views up to the tower and across to the countryside.
- Waterworks Micropub: Rye’s quirkiest pub, in a historic building that used to be a water pump house and then a public toilet. Award winning for its craft beer selection (including their own brews!) and atmosphere. Everything in the pub is for sale, down to the chairs.
- The Winery: A bit of a newer establishment on the riverfront, specialising in wine in a craft type setting.
7. Rye Harbour Nature Reserve
Stretching from Rye to the English Channel, this nature reserve is home to a wide range of habitats – saltmarshes, shingle ridges, lagoons – and rich birdlife.
You can walk the whole way from the town to the sea, spotting wildlife as you go. Or do as we did, and rent bikes – it’s a great way to explore the reserve and coastline. Rye Bay E-Bikes – about a 20 minute walk from the town – do hires, and will give you advice on routes. The official tourism board also has a map of routes here.
Across the reserve are a few sights of interest too:
- Camber Castle – built under orders of King Henry VIII, once surrounded by water, abandoned in the 17th century.
- Mary Stanford Lifeboat House – a former RNLI house, the site of a tragic failed lifeboat rescue in 1928 in which 17 crewmembers died, leaving nearby towns in shock. The building has been left up as a memorial.
- Visitor centre – a small exhibition space about the nature reserve.
Visit Rye Harbour Nature Reserve website.
8. Hit the beach
Rye isn’t a seaside town itself, but it’s in quick reach of excellent beaches.
Most famous is Camber Sands, a classic golden, dune-backed beach perfect for seaside fun, though it does get very busy. To get there take the 100 bus – it’s a 15 minute journey.
There are also lovely beaches along the nature reserve, often a bit quieter, stretching all the way to Winchelsea.
9. See Rye’s spooky side on a ghost tour – led by the town crier
Rye is an ancient town with a lot of history. And with that, of course, comes a lot of ghost stories. Tours from the town crier bring this spooky history to life several times a month, lasting two hours and starting from the Town Hall. Check the website and book tickets.
10. Go on a seal safari
The waters off of East Sussex’s shores is home to large populations of Grey Seals. From Rye, you can easily go on a boat trip to see the seals up-close. The main providers are Full Throttle Boat Charters, who offer a seal safari as well as a shorter trip around Rye Bay. They’re so confident that you’ll see seals that they offer half-refunds if you don’t!
Where to stay in Rye
Rye is only small and wherever you stay you’ll be in walking distance of everything. It’s a popular tourist destination so it has lots of places to stay, including stunning accommodation options and atmospheric inns.
Best hotels in Rye:
- The Mermaid Inn – the most iconic place to stay in Rye, deeply historic and atmospheric.
- The Hope Anchor Inn – a slightly more affordable but gorgeous historic hotel on the edge of town with views over the countryside. Breakfast included.
- The George – a stylish and luxurious boutique, recently restored, bang central on the High Street with a great restaurant.
- Rye Windmill B&B – a Grade II listed windmill now a high-end, family-run B&B.
Where to eat in Rye
For a small town, Rye punches above its weight when it comes to food. Alongside its ancient pubs are modern restaurants, serving local ingredients. Some of the best options are:
- The Union Rye: Modern British restaurant specialising in small plates
- The Hoof: Burger and steakhouse, ingredients sourced from nearby farms.
- The Fig: Another popular small plates restaurant
- Simply Italian: A popular family-run spot that does what it says on the tin – simple, good quality Italian food
Rye is also home to some excellent cafes including the very first Knoops, specialising in hot chocolate and with branches all across the country, and the Apothecary on the High Street.
FAQs about a visit to Rye
Is Rye worth visiting?
Absolutely – Rye is one of the most beautiful towns in England, well worthy of a visit. It’s filled with historic sights, ancient pubs, independent shops and surrounded by stunning nature.
How long to spend in Rye?
You can see all of the town’s main sights in a day. But if you can, it’s worth spending a night or two to give you time to get out into the nature reserve, spend time by the beach, and maybe go on a daytrip or two. There are some fantastic atmospheric places to stay in Rye, and after dark the dayrippers go home and the cobbled streets feel even more magical.
Why is Rye so popular?
Rye is so popular because, honestly, it feels frozen in time. Cobbled lanes, crooked half-timbered houses, and an ancient history that is still so visible everywhere you turn – it’s one of the best preserved historic towns in the country. Add to this its location, close to the East Sussex coast, and a number of excellent pubs, restaurants and independent shops, and it’s clear why Rye is so popular.
Why is Rye famous?
Rye is most famous nowadays as a tourist hotspot, and for being one of the best preserved Medieval towns in England. It’s got a rich history, once being a key harbour connecting England with France, and was a hotspot for smuggling. It’s also famous for its ghosts – with its history comes many reputedly haunted spots.
How to get to Rye from London?
Rye is a short train ride from London, taking just over an hour, leaving several times a day and requiring a change at Ashford International. Especially in the summer it’s a very popular route – it also goes to seaside towns like Hastings – and can get very busy. Book here.
This article is also featured on GPSmyCity. To download this article for offline reading or create a self-guided walking tour to visit the attractions highlighted in this article, go to Walking Tours and Articles in Rye.
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