Rye

Introducing Rye

Seemingly pickled, put on a shelf and promptly forgotten about by old Father Time, Rye is one of England's most beautiful medieval villages. You can't help but fall under its spell as you slip and wobble through the cobbled lanes, past mysterious passageways and crooked timber-beamed buildings. Romantics can lap up the townsfolk's tales of resident smugglers, ghosts, writers and artists, and even the most hardened cynic will be seduced by a slew of exquisite accommodations in its heart.

Once a coastal Cinque Port but long since abandoned by the shifting coastline, the town sits prettily atop a rocky outcrop, and sheep graze where the waters once lapped. If you do visit - and you absolutely should - try to avoid weekends during the summer, when hoards of day-trippers dilute the town's time-warp effect.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009