Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
raiding parties. Rye's pottery, white glazed and hand-painted, has been made for cen-
turies.
Rye Pottery,
Wishward Street (
&
01797/223038;
www.ryepottery.co.uk),
keeps the tradition going; forget mugs and trinkets—here are statues depicting char-
acters from
The Canterbury Tales
and the Bayeaux Tapestry. The little streets are also
full of antiques and bookstores. The town is limited in attractions but has some lovely
old inns, so it's a good place to stay to explore the county's houses and gardens.
Battle Abbey & Battlefield
RUINS Stand on the grassy swath where
King Harold, last of the Saxon kings, fought to the death on October 14, 1066, and
you can feel history come alive. Harold, as legend has it, was killed by an arrow
through the eye. It was the end of Anglo-Saxon England, and you can learn all about
it here at one of the south's brightest attractions. The modern visitor center features
sword-rattling, computer-animated film of the battle, while interactive displays por-
tray England at the time of the conquest. There's an audio tour of the battlefield
itself, which takes you to the very spot where Harold is said to have died. The abbey
was founded by William the Conqueror to celebrate his victory, but most of what's
left is in ruins, destroyed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries from 1538 to
1539 by Henry VIII. Abbot's House, the main building, is now a private school.
This is a great place for children, with a themed play area, activity sheet, and places
to run around with a sword (available in the gift shop). It's also the place for a picnic
in the parkland that was the monastery grounds, before having a quick look around
the medieval town of Battle, which sprung up around the abbey.
Battle High St., Battle
&
01424/773792.
www.english-heritage.org.uk. £7.30 adults, £6.60 students
and seniors, £4.40 children 5-15, £18 family ticket. Apr-Sept daily 10am-6pm; Oct-Mar daily 10am-
4pm.
Hastings Castle
CASTLE This was the first Norman castle in England,
built immediately after the Norman conquest. Now only ruins remain on the hilltop
site overlooking the sea. The fortress was unfortified by King John in 1216, and was
later used as a church. There is an audiovisual presentation of the castle's history, as
well as the battle of 1066. It's a nice walk, or you can take the funicular, which con-
nects with town.
Castle Hill Rd., West Hill, Hastings
&
01424/444412.
www.smugglersadventure.co.uk. Admission
£4.25 adults, £3.95 seniors and students, £3.50 children 5-15, £13 family ticket. Easter-Sept daily 10am-
5pm. West Hill Cliff Railway from George St. to the castle £1.60 adults, £1 children.
Lamb House
HISTORIC HOME Author Henry James lived here from 1898 to
1916. Many of his mementos are scattered throughout the big, brick house, which is
set in a large walled garden with lawns and mature trees. Its previous owner joined
the gold rush in North America but perished in the Klondike, and James bought it for
a modest £2,000. Some of his well-known books were written here.
West St. (at the top of Mermaid St.), Rye.
&
01580/762334.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk. Admission £4
adults, £2.10 children 5-15. Mid-Mar-mid-Oct Tues and Sat 2-6pm. Closed late Oct-early Mar.
Rye Castle Museum
MUSEUM The museum is actually in an old brewery and
documents the town's history, notably boat building, and how Rye was England's
seventh-biggest port in the 16th century. The castle is the nearby Ypres Tower, built
around 1250 by King Henry III, to defend the coast against attack by the French. It's
been a private home, mortuary, and prison, but now continues the coastal-history
theme and has views across farmland once covered by the sea.
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