Rye

Cobblestones and crooked Tudor houses make every street feel like a film set. Rye perches on its ancient hill like a ship that's sailed inland, with higgledy-piggledy rooflines and narrow lanes that twist down to the harbour. This is proper medieval England - the sort of place where you half expect to bump into a smuggler round every corner.

The Ypres Tower stands guard over it all, housing part of the Rye Castle Museum with views that stretch across Romney Marsh to the sea. St. Mary the Virgin's clock chimes the hours while you wander the antique shops and galleries along the cobbled streets. Down at Rye Harbour, the Discovery Centre tells stories of salt marshes and seabirds, while the Mary Stanford Lifeboat House remembers braver days when rescues were launched into wild Channel storms.

Camber Sands lies just three miles east - proper seaside with miles of golden sand that gets packed on summer weekends but stays lovely and wild midweek. The drive there takes you through flat marshland dotted with sheep and crossed by drainage dykes, landscape that feels more like Holland than Sussex.

Trains from London reach Rye in about ninety minutes, though the branch line from Ashford can be a bit erratic. Most visitors arrive by car via the A259 coastal road, which gives cracking views across the marsh as you approach the town.

Staying at one of the holiday parks around Camber or Winchelsea puts you perfectly placed for both beach days and historic exploration. You're close enough to cycle into Rye for morning coffee, yet far enough from the day-tripper crowds to enjoy proper peace in the evenings. The surrounding countryside offers brilliant walking too, with footpaths threading through the nature reserves and along the old sea wall.