Insider: Jo and Barrie from Soap and Salvation
Our new BFFs Jo and Barrie from Soap and Salvation take us on a guided tour of favourite haunts in their hometown of Rye. Quick. Book that weekend break.
Our day starts at The Whitehouse on the High Street, set in a beautiful old building with a Georgian façade. Everything is made on site, including their sourdough and a fabulous selection of cakes and bakes. Eat in or grab a coffee and something from the counter to take away. Head to The Gun Garden and enjoy the view of the River Rother meandering out to sea.
Stroll around the town, taking in the wonderful array of independent shops and galleries. Merchant and Mills is always a pit stop for fabrics, trims and scissors. All made exclusively for them, plus they have a range of their patterns for clothes, bags and items for the home.
Peruse the beautifully curated art, ceramics and sculpture at McCully and Crane on Cinque Ports Street. Owner Marcus Crane works with a great roster of talent, creating a visual feast for the eyes in his double-fronted shop. The collection changes regularly as his artists produce new works, and new talent is introduced to his stable.
Head to Les Animaux, for clothes and coffee. Founder Lisa, trained in Paris and now creates a unique collection of garment-dyed clothing for men and women. The array of colours is always really pleasing, and she can customise lengths and finishes.
Our wander around town always takes in the very pretty streets and houses which date back to the 14th century. The citadel, with St Mary’s Church at its centre, is a treat for the eyes. Climb up to the top of the tower, past the ropes of the bellringers and up a slightly perilous ladder for a wonderful view out across the rooftops of Rye. Proceed down Mermaid Street, admiring the beautiful old houses and the infamous Mermaid Inn, home to many a tale of ghosts and smugglers. Enjoy the uniquely named houses – no numbers here.
In the evening, we grab an early supper of grilled prawns and fish rolls at the Fish Market on Simmons Quay, before heading to our local Kino Cinema, in a converted school building in the centre of town, to catch a movie.
If the tide times are good, we head out to our favourite beach at Pett Level nestled underneath the cliffs of the Fairlight Hills, and location for David Bowie’s Ashes to Ashes video. We find a spot on the stones and settle in before heading into the sea for a swim. An accompanying seal is not unusual, as there is a large colony just around the cliffs. They are inquisitive creatures,
but like a little distance if they have babies in tow. After our swim, we drink hot tea from a flask, or grab a coffee from the sea container on the slipway. We often take a book or a magazine to while away the time and enjoy the peace. As the sea recedes, the remains of a petrified ancient forest are revealed, and we embark on a hunt for sea glass and hag stones.
In the afternoon we take a drive across the hills to Hastings and St Leonards. There are so many great places for lunch, with one of our favourites being Bayte, where you can eat the most delicious food in a beautiful setting, with a lively and relaxed atmosphere.
After lunch, a stroll down the London Road, to visit our favourite second-hand bookshop Black Gull Books, always coming away with a few treasures for our collection. Usually, we head back to the car to deposit our finds before we head to Marine Parade and Norman Road to browse the antique and vintage shops, and independent galleries. One of our favourites is Sunless, with their unique selection of antique and vintage clothing and furniture, across two shops on Norman Road.
We head back to Rye and watch the sun go down at The Winery on Rock Channel, often with a glass of kombucha and some olives as an accompaniment.
After lunch, a stroll down the London Road, to visit our favourite second-hand bookshop Black Gull Books, always coming away with a few treasures for our collection. Usually, we head back to the car to deposit our finds before we head to Marine Parade and Norman Road to browse the antique and vintage shops, and independent galleries. One of our favourites is Sunless, with their unique selection of antique and vintage clothing and furniture, across two shops on Norman Road.
We head back to Rye and watch the sun go down at The Winery on Rock Channel, often with a glass of kombucha and some olives as an accompaniment.
