is a small hill top
Town and
Civil Parish in
East Sussex ,
England , on the
River Rother , and at the western edge of the
Walland Marsh , part of the
Romney Marshes .
The town's economy relies heavily on
Tourism because of its historical importance.
- Rye received its first town charter under the Norman s; and was fortified during the reign of King Stephen
- Although not one of the original Cinque Port s, Rye had became one by the 13th Century , providing nine ships to the federation
- Rye lost its importance as a port when the coastline changed as a result of storms and long shore drift, and the town is now two miles (3.2 km) from the sea. It still has some trade.
- Sir Robert Naunton mentions it as the first place he visited in his book ''Travels in England'', published sometime between 1628 and 1632 . Daniel Defoe and William Cobbett also mention the town in the course of their travels.
- HMS Rye , a Royal Navy minesweeper, was named for the town during the Second World War .
Notable buildings in the town include St Mary's parish church, the Ypres Tower and many of the houses on Mermaid Street, Watchbell Streeet, and Church Square.
Although not consciously a "writers' colony", Rye has produced and attracted many writers.
Lamb House , one of the town's historic residences and now owned by the
National Trust , has been home to:
- Henry James (1843–1916), American novelist, resident 1898 to 1916.
- E.F. Benson (1867 –1940), English novelist. House and town feature prominently in his "Mapp and Lucia" novels, as ''Mallard House'' and ''Tilling'' .
- Rumer Godden (1907–1998), Anglo-Indian novelist.
Other residents of the town and environs include:
- Radclyffe Hall (1880–1943), seminal Lesbian writer.
- Russell Thorndike (1885-1972), who set his ''Dr Syn'' novels about Smuggling on the marshes.
- Conrad Aiken (1889–1973), American writer.
- Joan Aiken (1924–2004), children's author, daughter of Conrad Aiken.
- Monica Edwards (1912–1998), children's author who lived at Rye Harbour and set her ''Romney marsh'' novels in the area, renaming Rye ''Dunsford''.
- John Christopher (b.1922), science fiction author. The 1980s British television series based on his trilogy, '' The Tripods '', was filmed near his house.
Rye stands on the
A259 Coast Road
Rye has a
Railway Station on the
Brighton to
Ashford, Kent "Marshlink" line. It was also the terminus for the pre-
World War II Rye & Camber Tramway , built to serve golf courses and Camber Sands, a tourist beach.
The
Saxon Shore Way starts at
Gravesend ,
Kent and traces the coast as it was in
Roman times, via , as far as
Hastings ,
East Sussex , 163
Mile s (262
Km ) in total.
