Many people told me about Rye. Apparently it is one of the best preserved medieval towns in England. This was backed up by Lonely Planet, the travelers bible. So given I had the day off and am rapidly trying to fill my bucket list and see as much as I can before I leave the UK. I caught the train to Rye.

As train trips go in England it is quite nice going across the Pett Level and past Winchelsea. Rye station is a let down though. It is on the far side of a car park dotted with cheap supermarkets and a bus station. That's OK, cars and buses were not around in the medieval period, so perhaps this is not the place to judge Rye.

Following the advised route in Lonely Planet, I walked up through the newish part of town to Mermaid street. And here it was. The most beautiful village centre I have seen. Row upon row of Tudor and older houses, pubs, cobbled streets and all leading down to the original seafront. Now due to mud deposits Rye is a little way from the sea and Rye is only accessible by boat on the high tide. But all the same I loved it.

I walked around the streets for an hour or so avoiding the cliche souvenir shops selling every form of the Union Flag and jars of jam and chutney imaginable. I found my way to the Olde Bell pub. Rebuilt in the 1400s. Lunch was a ploughman's and a glass of red. From here I strolled up the hill and followed the old walls around to the church at the top of the hill.

The church was fairly new on a Rye standard, but I climbed to the top of the bell tower, past the bells and around the top for a great view of the whole town and out to the coast. The way the bells are rigged is really interesting and the room under the bells where the ropes are. There was some bell music on the wall to show the ringers how to play the different peels. I think if I get back to England I will look into trying bell ringing.

From the church I went to the Ypres Tower. This is the old fort overlooking what use to be the harbour entrance.

However the cold of the day was catching up to me and I made my way back to the centre of town and the railway station to head back to Hastings. If I get back to England and this part of the country I would consider living in Rye. It really is beautiful, but I expect it is full of tourists in the summer.