Rye

Shop

Get even more with a Lonely Planet guide.

Pocket London

$14.99

Shop Book

Getty Images/Moment RF

LONELY PLANET’S RECOMMENDED eSIM

Stay connected in Rye

with

Saily is an affordable eSIM service that helps you stay connected and secure, anywhere in the world.

Get your eSIM

Overview

Possibly southeast England’s quaintest town, Rye is a little nugget of the past, a medieval settlement that looks like someone hit the pause button on time. Even the most hard-boiled cynic can’t fail to be softened by Rye’s cobbled lanes, mysterious passageways and crooked half-timbered Tudor buildings. Tales of resident smugglers, ghosts, writers and artists abound.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Lamb House

Rye

This Georgian town house is a favourite stomping ground for local apparitions, but its most famous resident was American writer Henry James, who lived…

Ypres Tower

Rye

Just off Church Sq stands the sandcastle-esque Ypres Tower (pronounced ‘wipers’). You can scramble through the 13th-century building to learn about its…

Church of St Mary the Virgin

Rye

Rye’s welcoming, community hub of a church is a hotchpotch of medieval and later styles. Its turret clock is the oldest in England (1561) still working…

Mermaid Street

Rye

Most start their exploration of Rye on famous Mermaid St, a short walk from the Rye Heritage Centre. It bristles with 15th-century timber-framed houses…

View more attractions