The ancient cinque port of Rye

The other day I popped over to Rye.

It's one of the original Cinque Ports which, in the 13th century was one of 5 towns along the coast of Kent and Sussex which provided King Henry 111 and later Edward 1 with safe harbours, a quota of ships and men to sail them.

In return for their support the ports, - defined as 'Antient Towns' - were granted common rights and privileges, with freedom from taxes and custom duties, trading concessions and rights to hold judicial courts.

Although Rye still has a harbour, the sea is now several miles away and reached by a winding river.

Enough of the history lesson! Today Rye is an important destination for tourists with a passion for history. Fortunately the town has avoided becoming commercialised and has remained largely unchanged for centuries.

The main feature of Rye is it's cobbled streets which are lined with ancient timbered buildings, each of which has a history of it's own.

It's proximity to France made it a major smuggling town in days gone by, and many of the houses are linked by tunnels, then on to the face of the cliffs which still show the signs of the sea that once lapped against them.

I'll say no more! The pictures I think, speak for themselves!

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See more pictures of Rye by clicking here