Mapp & Lucia's Rye
Mapp & Lucia's Rye
5
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PJ1743
Rye, UK79 contributions
Jul 2014 • Couples
A lot has been written about the lovely medieval town of Rye and this year E.F. Benson's "Mapp and Lucia" is being filmed there. Rye is a popular location for filming but deserves to be seen in its own right as it's full of mystery and intrigue.
There is plenty here for "culture vultures" with several art and photographic galleries and, if you're quick, you can catch the Rye Society of Artists' Annual Exhibition which is held in historic Mermaid Street (at the Boy's Club) every August. This exhibition features in the Mapp and Lucia books when Miss Mapp rejects Lucia and Georgie's paintings entered for the annual show. Well known local artists exhibit here including two Royal Academicians and it's well worth a look.
Rye is built like a wedding cake with several tiers. The bottom tier is home to the station, coach park and small supermarket. Walk up Station Approach into Cinque Ports Street where you will find several restaurants including The Fish Café, Indian and Thai as well as small cafes and interesting shops. The next level is the High Street reached by Market Road or you could brave the cobbles on Conduit Hill (reputed to be haunted). Try the Chocolate Guiness Cake at Edith's House (recommended) or check out some of the other cafes and tea rooms.
At the top of the town is the real Rye, St Mary's Church with its peaceful churchyard and Quarter Boys, cobbled streets everywhere and Lamb House where E.F. Benson wrote the books just round the corner from the famous Mermaid Hotel. Have a drink in the Mermaid bar - fabulous in the winter when a huge fire burns massive logs in an enormous fireplace. The hotel itself was once a haunt for smugglers and has lots of secret passages and hideaways.
There are so many different aspects to Rye - enjoy the wonderful views towards Winchelsea from Watchbell Street near the Hope Anchor Hotel (good for Sunday Lunch) - then wander down the narrow Traders Passage back into the bottom of Mermaid Street.
There are secret areas and "twittens" (narrow passageways between buildings) a lot of which have now been gated but you can still walk through Needles Passage which links Cinque Ports Street with The Mint.
Head down to Strand Quay with it's converted warehouses, now cafes, antique shops and restaurants. Simply Italian is a great place to stop for a pizza.
Rye is so worth a visit - and there is much more to find there - enjoy the search!
There is plenty here for "culture vultures" with several art and photographic galleries and, if you're quick, you can catch the Rye Society of Artists' Annual Exhibition which is held in historic Mermaid Street (at the Boy's Club) every August. This exhibition features in the Mapp and Lucia books when Miss Mapp rejects Lucia and Georgie's paintings entered for the annual show. Well known local artists exhibit here including two Royal Academicians and it's well worth a look.
Rye is built like a wedding cake with several tiers. The bottom tier is home to the station, coach park and small supermarket. Walk up Station Approach into Cinque Ports Street where you will find several restaurants including The Fish Café, Indian and Thai as well as small cafes and interesting shops. The next level is the High Street reached by Market Road or you could brave the cobbles on Conduit Hill (reputed to be haunted). Try the Chocolate Guiness Cake at Edith's House (recommended) or check out some of the other cafes and tea rooms.
At the top of the town is the real Rye, St Mary's Church with its peaceful churchyard and Quarter Boys, cobbled streets everywhere and Lamb House where E.F. Benson wrote the books just round the corner from the famous Mermaid Hotel. Have a drink in the Mermaid bar - fabulous in the winter when a huge fire burns massive logs in an enormous fireplace. The hotel itself was once a haunt for smugglers and has lots of secret passages and hideaways.
There are so many different aspects to Rye - enjoy the wonderful views towards Winchelsea from Watchbell Street near the Hope Anchor Hotel (good for Sunday Lunch) - then wander down the narrow Traders Passage back into the bottom of Mermaid Street.
There are secret areas and "twittens" (narrow passageways between buildings) a lot of which have now been gated but you can still walk through Needles Passage which links Cinque Ports Street with The Mint.
Head down to Strand Quay with it's converted warehouses, now cafes, antique shops and restaurants. Simply Italian is a great place to stop for a pizza.
Rye is so worth a visit - and there is much more to find there - enjoy the search!
Written August 5, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
oregoncynthia
Portland, OR135 contributions
Jun 2018 • Solo
I was so thrilled to go on the Mapp & Lucia Tour this summer. I loved every minute of it. Allan Downend showed us all the places from the books. He's a great tour guide and knows everything about Mapp & Lucia. The tour covers a lot of ground and is really inexpensive. I will definitely take his tour again! If you've read the Mapp & Lucia books, you'll really enjoy it.
Written August 29, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sylvia T
Chatham, UK2 contributions
Apr 2015 • Family
This was a really interesting tour, we have always loved Mapp and Lucia but since seeing the places involved it has brought it all to life. We have re-watched both TV series and are re-reading all the books and it has made such a difference to have seen Lamb House, the Church, Castle, Landgate and the lovely buildings of Rye. This tour is a must for all Mapp and Lucia fans.
Written May 10, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
visitorfromOxford
Oxford, UK21 contributions
Apr 2011
Entertaining insights into Mapp and Lucia's world and the author and the Rye he knew. Who lived where etc. Includes interesting tour of the church and Benson connections there.
Written April 17, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
denise l
Bexhill-on-Sea, UK593 contributions
Mar 2016 • Couples
Rye is a fantastic little town. We have been visiting for a number of years and never get fed up with it. It is so historic with cobbled, streets, timber-framed and Georgian houses and very different architecture. There are some interesting shops to visit, including a number of antique places down by the Strand. The church is worth a visit and for a fee you can go up the tower and find beautiful far-reaching views. There are also plenty of places to eat, cafes, pubs and restaurants.
If you are a fan of E F Benson of Mapp and Lucia fame, this is certainly a must-do. We watched the original series with Geraldine McEwan, Prunella Sclaes and Nigel Hawthorne and have been captivated ever since. I believe it is still on DVD and shows Rye as Tilling. One Christmas 2 years ago the BBC updated it with new actors, Miranda Richardson and Anna Chancellor, and again showed all the best parts of Rye.
There is a train station in Rye and buses regularly pass through. High season and weekends can make parking a little difficult as the car parks do get filled up quickly.
If you are a fan of E F Benson of Mapp and Lucia fame, this is certainly a must-do. We watched the original series with Geraldine McEwan, Prunella Sclaes and Nigel Hawthorne and have been captivated ever since. I believe it is still on DVD and shows Rye as Tilling. One Christmas 2 years ago the BBC updated it with new actors, Miranda Richardson and Anna Chancellor, and again showed all the best parts of Rye.
There is a train station in Rye and buses regularly pass through. High season and weekends can make parking a little difficult as the car parks do get filled up quickly.
Written March 25, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Billythefish1
Southport, UK1,414 contributions
Apr 2015 • Friends
You walk past a place and suddenly you can see the TV set in front of you. Having watched Mapp & Lucia once it is pointed out to, you can see the characters walking to the houses and going inside. The 2 main houses in the show are just down from the Mermaid pub and one is a national trust house, called Lamb House, so it is possible to see the main set. Nice as part of the visit around Rye.
Written April 17, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CMfanLondon
London12 contributions
Jun 2014 • Friends
On this walk led by Allan Downend, Secretary of the E.F.Benson Society, you visit the houses and locations mentioned in the Mapp & Lucia books. You also have pointed out to you the houses used in the BBC television series. It lasts about 2 hours and includes the Benson interest windows in the Church, which give an idea of his life and family. You see where Miss Mapp spied on the Poppits and where many of the stories took place. His world comes to life, and also the places where his friends lived. Going round with others leads to animated discussions and sharing experiences of reading the novels. A must for Mapp & Lucia fans.
Written March 15, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JuneBug1939
Weston super Mare, UK4,728 contributions
Jul 2012 • Friends
Quaint, historic, literary! All these descriptions spring to mind. Anyone who has read Mapp & Lucia by E F Benson will recognise it. Just a fabulous, atmospheric place, and one of the Cinq Ports.
Written May 24, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sherrie S
London, UK20 contributions
Feb 2015 • Family
This town has Cobbled streets, secret passages, different architecture, quaint old houses, the church (and a surprise in its grounds!), the river, shops, pub and the view at the top of the village. If you like all these, please visit, you will not be disappointed.
Written June 12, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Malcolm G
Leicester, UK171 contributions
May 2015 • Couples
We watched Mapp & Lucia and loved the look of the place so much we had three nights here. It was everything we had hoped for, the town has so many ancient houses, Tudor, Georgian Victorian and everything in between, mostly on cobbled streets, hard on the feet but quite unique in a town of this size. We could pick out some of the places where different scenes were filmed. We were pleasantly surprised at the number of independent shops there were and the lookout points at different locations showed just how far the sea had receded. The wealth of restaurants and cafes were were a joy to see and choose from. There is always something different to see and do, a must for the visitor.
Written May 29, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
No idea. Try a webQuery, or as it is a NT property, probably the concierge can answer. Probably just turn up.
Written November 24, 2019
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