Rye/Camber Sands and around - advice please!

[fizzly]

We have a wedding in Rye in August and will have a spare day. Obviously it is a bit weather dependent and if the weather is amazing we may just spend a day on the beach, but if it is a typically British August day what would you recommend to do with a 4 and a 2 year old. We are wondering about Battle Abbey (about half hour away) - is it fun enough for this age (parents would love it I'm sure!), or can we find enough to occupy ourselves in and around Rye? Any advice much appreciated as we like to plan for all eventualities! Lunch recommendations would also be amazing.

[fizzly]

Actually, any advice for a day at the beach at Camber Sands would also be good. Maybe I should be more optimistic about the weather!

[MrsCakesPremonition]

We had a lovely holiday at Camber Sands in wellies, shorts and anoraks. The DCs spent days digging complex engineering works redirecting the streams that run across the sands - they were completely absorbed.
We also took a couple of very cheap, simple supermarket kites.
Twas fab.

[CharmQuark]

Port Lymnpe zoo is excellent .

[fizzly]

Great suggestions (like the engineering!!). Thank you!

Anyone else?

[cestlavielife]

Rare breeds centre www.rarebreeds.org.uk

[BaldricksTurnip]

I live in Rye and have three young children. I would recommend the Salts park in central Rye it's great. There's the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch miniature train that you can catch from Dymchurch (around 20 mins from Rye) and it takes you to Dungeoness lighthouse, cafe etc. Rye itself is lovely but mainly tea rooms pubs and gift shops-not much for little ones.

[mrsjavierbardem]

fizzle you may find August traffic to and from Rye can be slow-ish, it may be more than half an hour to Battle, but an early start can help!
The train is great and I also love visiting Derek Jarmon's old house if it is still there, I haven't been for years, near Dungeness.

I love Hastings Old Town. I'm not sure of the distance but a day there has loads for your two dc.
There is the Aquarium, the Fisherman's museum (free) with a real old boat inside the kids can climb on, the Cliff lifts amazing views, the beach with a fleet of real fishing boats on it, fresh fish everywhere, the Jerwood Gallery (not cheap I hear, I haven't been in yet as it sounds pricey), there are two other museums in the town I think, various galleries, interesting shopping, a sweet lot of winding streets to explore, crazy golf near the beach, some really big trampolines, playgrounds near the beach, a funfair, a sweet miniature railway that goes along the Old Town beach, the RNLI lifeboat station has a good gift shop, there are amusements and rides, there's two or three rides for your dc. And general fish and chips etc of course. There is a lovely metal sculpture of a winkle shell that you can put money in and it makes a sound. I visit several times a year as we have friends in the area, I love the Old Town. It obviously is not the Norfolk coast, you have a proper social mix but I don't mind that. If you like looking at Art or even buying it Hastings and St Leonards is full of artists and odd galleries so you can find affordable art if that's what you like. Rye has pricier Art I would imagine.


Bexhill has the gorgeous De La Warr Pavilion and an excellent play ground for free.

You could go to both places by train from Rye I think.

Have a great time whatever you do!

[mrsjavierbardem]

Sorry for repetition, I'm so tired I must go to bed!

[TerriYacki]

there's a lovely tea room and art gallery down in rye harbour but that might be tricky with a small one

[butterfliesinmytummy]

I grew up in Hastings and went to battle abbey school. There's not a huge amount to capture the imaginations of tiny ones at battle abbey tbh but there is a Yesterday's World that shows you Victorian britain just opposite, pretty interesting and lots to look at, even for little ones. Also good tea rooms in the high street.

Hastings old town is fab but does rely on fine weather too a certain extent. The funicular hill lifts are a favourite as well as mini golf, sea life centre, high street and George street. We like an afternoon in rye too but only for tea (simon the pieman by the church is legendary, used to go there with my great grandmother 40 years ago).

Rare breeds and dymchurch are fab, also camber sands with a bucket and spade if it's nice.

[mrsjavierbardem]

My ds was at 4, totally freaked out by the wax people in Yesterday's World. Amazing place but if your kid is scared of dummies, beware!

There is also a fairly big soft play place on the hill behind Hastings pier called 'Clambers' if the weather is rubbish.

[BlueChampagne]

Bodiam would be a good castle.

[fizzly]

This is fabulous. thank you!

[MsJupiter]

We just had a week in Hastings and went to Drusilla's, Camber Sands, Bodiam and Hastings itself all of which were great fun. Camber Sands is £10 for a days parking but if the weathers nice it's worth it.

[Ginormarse]

just stumbled on to this thread, and it's so helpful!
We are going on hol for a week in August and staying in a cottage in right next to Camber Sands. 3 kids aged 6, 3 and 18months. Hoping for good weather as I think we are literally 2 mins walk to the beach.
But ideas of what else to do are great. Any recommendations for good family friendly places to eat out?
Sorry to hijack thread fizzly !

[fizzly]

No problem Ginormarse.

We would also welcome eating recommendations!

[Princesspond]

Camber sands is beautiful on a hot day, but prone to wind -take a windbreak/ sun tent if you have one. We quite like stopping at The Cock Inn on the road out of Rye, just past Jempsons supermarket. It has a garden with a big play frame for the children and last time had a big inflatable slide. The children make friends and play happily waiting for their food

[TiggyD]

Screw Rye! Go to Hastings. Go up the cliff railway, then go down the cave/smuggling adventure thing, visit the slightly disappointing castle, go down the cliff railway, walk through the Old Town, Do the tacky seafront stuff, Play one of the 3 - That's THREE! crazy golf courses, eat some ice cream (or winkles for the lady), fend off the seagulls, go to the old arcade thing through the town to Alexandra Park to explore and eat some more, back to the putting to do another course or 2, along the front to the seafood stall to buy some nice fish for dinner (tea if Northern), then back to base.

[PetulaGordino]

We climbed to the top of the church tower - can you still do that? Lovely views. Not so good if weather is ago or if you have toddlers that like to hurl themselves off things obviously

[BlueChampagne]

We like Star Inn [[http://www.thestarinn-themarsh.co.uk/]] after a morning at Camber.

[BlueChampagne]

Ooops Star Inn [[www.thestarinn-themarsh.co.uk/]]

[BlueChampagne]

I give up ...

[BlueChampagne]

Just remembered you can see Thomas the Tank Engine at Bodiam station.

[enriquetheringbearinglizard]

This one Blue? Star Inn, Romney Marsh

[enriquetheringbearinglizard]

Oh. Just looked on their restaurant page and it says the kitchens are closed and they're not serving food until further notice (at The Star Inn)