Rye Foreign

Because Rye Foreign has no village centre of its own, hotels in the strict sense are scarce in the hamlet itself. Instead, most visitors choose from the wider cluster of accommodation around Rye, only a couple of miles away, which ranges from historic coaching inns on the cobbled streets of the old town to boutique B&Bs in converted merchants' houses. Just outside Rye, in villages such as Peasmarsh, Iden and Playden, there are also comfortable country inns and converted farm buildings offering a quieter alternative with easy access back into town. Booking ahead is worthwhile in summer, when Rye's popularity as a day-trip destination pushes up demand for overnight stays nearby. Whichever you choose, you will be within easy striking distance of Rye's medieval streets, the beach at Camber and the walking country of Romney Marsh.

Everything below is a short drive or cycle from Rye Foreign, making it a convenient, quiet base for a few days exploring this corner of East Sussex and Kent.

• Rye old town - cobbled Mermaid Street, timber-framed houses and the Norman St Mary the Virgin church make Rye one of the best-preserved medieval towns in England, and it is only around two miles from Rye Foreign.
• Rye Castle (Ypres Tower) - a 13th-century fortification built to defend the town from French raids, now a small museum covering Rye's smuggling and Cinque Ports history.
• Camber Sands - the largest sand dune system in East Sussex, with several miles of open beach, is a short drive south-east of Rye.
• Romney Marsh - a vast, flat expanse of reclaimed grazing marsh straddling the Sussex/Kent border, dotted with isolated medieval churches and criss-crossed by drainage dykes, ideal for quiet walking and birdwatching.
• Rye Harbour Nature Reserve - shingle beach, lagoons and saltmarsh at the mouth of the Rother, an important site for breeding and wintering birds.
• Great Dixter House and Gardens - the celebrated Arts and Crafts garden created by Christopher Lloyd, near Northiam, a short drive north of Rye Foreign.
• Bodiam Castle - a spectacular moated 14th-century castle a few miles further up the Rother valley, cared for by the National Trust.

Rye itself, just a couple of miles away, has a strong reputation for food, from fresh fish landed at Rye Harbour to the town's well-known bakeries and tea rooms along the cobbled streets. The Globe Inn at Peasmarsh and the George in Rye are popular options for a proper pub meal, while Landgate Bistro and several seafood restaurants in Rye make good use of the day's catch. Out in the hamlet itself there is little more than farm shops and honesty stalls selling local produce, so for a sit-down meal it is worth the short trip into Rye or Peasmarsh.

The countryside around Rye Foreign is classic High Weald and marsh-edge Sussex: gently rolling farmland and orchards giving way, to the south and east, to the flat expanses of Romney Marsh and the dunes at Camber. It is attractive walking and cycling country, but England has no general right to wild camp, and pitching a tent on farmland or common land here without the landowner's permission is not allowed - anyone wanting to camp should use one of the established sites in the area rather than heading off-grid. That said, the region has a reasonable spread of campsites and glamping options, particularly toward the coast around Camber and Winchelsea and inland near Peasmarsh and Northiam, ranging from simple grass pitches to fully-equipped safari tents and shepherd's huts.

Spring through early autumn is the practical camping season here, with April to September giving the most reliable weather and the longest days for exploring Rye, the marsh footpaths and the beach at Camber. Midsummer is busiest and campsites near the coast book up well in advance, so early booking is worth it if you want a pitch close to the sand. Out of season the marsh has a bleak, atmospheric beauty of its own, appealing to walkers and birdwatchers prepared for wetter weather and shorter days. For those who prefer a bit more comfort, the growing choice of glamping sites in the surrounding villages offers a good middle ground - proper beds and often a wood-burner, without giving up the feeling of being out in the Sussex countryside.