Rye
the middle ages, still standing
A cobbled hill town that barely left the middle ages. Crooked streets, a ruined castle lookout and the marshes beyond, all free.
Free to visit · Rye · East Sussex · St Pancras → Rye (change Ashford) · TN31 7HE
Rye is a tiny medieval hill town that looks like a film set and is free to wander end to end. Climb cobbled Mermaid Street, loop the church and the old Ypres Tower lookout and gaze out over Romney Marsh to the sea.
Almost nothing here costs money. The streets, the viewpoints and the antique-shop windows are the whole experience, and a walk down to the harbour or out onto the nature reserve makes an easy free afternoon.
Getting there from London: St Pancras to Rye, 1h10 (change at Ashford), advance singles from £18 each way. The whole town is the sight and it is free to walk. Only the little castle museum charges.
Getting there: Rye station sits at the foot of the hill, a few minutes walk up into the old town. Everything worth seeing is within ten minutes on foot.
Best time to go: Come midweek and early. Mermaid Street is the most photographed lane in England so you want it before the crowds.
Official site: https://www.visit1066country.com/explore/towns-and-villages/rye
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