Even if the weather was not really on our side last week end for St Valentine’s, I enjoyed visiting Rye, within the historic County of Sussex. Rye is about two miles away from the open sea and is at the confluence of three rivers: the Rother, the Tillingham and the Brede. In medieval times, Rye was an important member of the Cinque Ports confederation and almost entirely surrounded by the sea.

A beautiful town

I really liked the beautiful houses along the streets, where you can always see flowers or rural details at the window…
…or apparent jokes reminding us that the locals are accustomed to seeing visitors raving about the beauty of the place…

The architectural styles get mixed as remnants of the past… You can see churches turned into houses, half-timbered houses, historic buildings…
Very old doors…
I particularly appreciated the white or coloured doors bringing brightness to the city even under bad weather conditions!

St Mary’s Church

This place is also worth visiting.
 This is a warmth church where you’ll discover very colourful stained-glass windows. And you’ll enjoy a bright interior, with interesting details such as this wedding dress in the choir of the Church as an illustration of the wedding ceremony and vow. That was the current topic enhanced on posters, with photographs of the Royal Family…
You can -if you don’t suffer from vertigo!- go to the top of the Church to, first, see the “Ringing Chamber” with a presentation of the clock mechanisms and the “Bell Chamber” with its 8 bells. Then at the rooftop, you’ll have an overview of Rye’s surroundings…and I was intrigued by an independent cinema I would have appreciated to rest in …!
The Church is as beautiful inside as outside, with the particularity to be part of a residential area, where the dead coexist with the living…

A great place to stay for the week-end

Rye is really worth visiting, wether under bad or good weather! There are many places to stay for the night but didn’t had the chance to book one night on the spot …
A charming place to have lunch would be at “Simon the Pieman”, the oldest tearoom in Rye in the shadow of the Church. Excellent pies indeed, with a homelike atmosphere and a warm fireplace. Delightful !

Nearby visits

And if it is not enough for you, you can still visit Hastings nearby where a large part of England history took place in 1066 or visit the Bodiam Castle, a medieval Castle where you can explore the Castle courtyard and climb up the towers, as well as watch a video to know more about the medieval castle life. Enjoy!