What to do in and around Camber Sands

[BsshBosh]

Hello. We've booked a cottage right on Camber Sands beach for a week but would like to also explore nearby places (eg zoos, stately houses, gardens, other beach towns). We have a car. Any suggestions? Also any suggestions of places to visit in Camber eg museums, restaurants, play areas? We have a 7 year old. Thanks.

There is very little in Camber but the beach.

But you have Hastings and Battle one way; Bedgebury Pinetum another and Dungeness the other. Aspinall's zoo park at Port Lymne isn't too far and is a fabulous place to visit (tho on the dear side).

Typo, missed the p. Port Lympne. I spent a lot of time there with all of mine as babies.

Romney Hythe and Dymchurch railway is about a 10 minute drive away. Also Rare Breeds Centre in Woodchurch not too far and good fun.

Thank you.

We were there last week .

Bodiam Castle is lovely for the day, then the little steam railway (Kent and East Sussex I think it is called). Rye is a lovely place for an afternoon walk about, Henry James lived there and his house is there (National Trust). We had a lovely lunch in somewhere called Edith's place (definitely Edith's, not sure about Place) in the High St in Rye, lovely quirky individual coffee shop. The Rye Heritage centre had a lot going on.

We didn't do it but you can take a boat trip from Bodiam.

Sissinghurst is not too far - again lovely for a sunny picnic.

The Observatory/Science Centre at Hailsham is great for kids if they like that sort of thing, we are going to the Greenwich Observatory this month on the back of the enthusiasm generated by Hailsham.

That was all we did, apart from being blown away at Camber Sands - very windy indeed!

Must add that HJ house is not that interesting for children (9 year old here) in general, but they have the usual quiz thing and the gardens are nice. We used the house to escape the rain tbh but then the gardens made it worth while.

The observatory is indeed a great day out, but it is at Herstmonceux, not Hailsham ! Not far from Hailsham.

www.the-observatory.org/

You can also see the Herstmonceux castle at the same time:

www.herstmonceux-castle.com/opening-times-prices/

And, oddly, it is pronounced Herstmonzoo!

Hailsham was good enough for us to find it Magi (was as it was described to us), well for our car to find it!! .

We didn't do that castle as we were NT'd out by then.

Know what you mean about being NT'd out!!

If you are ever down this way in winter the observatory have open evenings & you can look through the giant telescopes at the heavens. I saw Saturn & its rings through one of them a few years ago - really amazing.

Lots of lovely suggestions, thank you.

Ha ha! I was reading this and thinking 'never knew there was an observatory at Hailsham'

Herstmonceux is indeed fabulous. The Apothecary in Rye is a great place for lunch too. And a wander round the Ypres tower and gun terrace for obligatory cannon photos

The dungeoness visitor centre was good when I last went (mind you, that was about 15 years ago! - my dc are a bit little for that) Romney Hythe & Dymchurch railway is excellent.

Hastings can be good for a visit - the smugglers caves are good, and there is a sealife centre + shipwreck museum. Plus the cliff railways are fabulous too.

Oops - that was how it was described to me and it stuck, I put the postcode in the car and that was it!

The Pilot at Dungness does amazing fish & chips & has a lovely garden.

Herstmonceux Science Centre is great but much better in sunshine so don't put it in the box of "things to do if it rains".
RHDR is good fun and reasonably rainproof. They've got a cute little toy museum at the Hythe station, and you could climb the lighthouse if you go to Dungeness - there's a cafe and a decent fish and chip pub at Dungeness as well, along with Derek Jarman's house if you are interested.

Xpost with magimedi. I was talking about the Britannia as the pub, which is closer to the railway, but I agree that the Pilot does better food and is more scenic.