A city, up close

Rye sits on a hill above what was once a tidal estuary, though the sea has receded more than two miles since it was one of the medieval Cinque Ports. Cobbled Mermaid Street, lined with timber-framed houses dating to the 15th century, is the town's best-known walk, leading up to St Mary's Church and the Ypres Tower, part of the town's medieval defences.

9 walking tours filmed here