Rye Ramblings: Camber & Broomhill Sands in winter
5 people attending
25 places left
Oh I do like to be beside the seaside, yes I do- even in winter. Camber is terribly popular in the hot summer days which means it is very crowded so perhaps best avoided. In the off-season, it is great to go there. Still quite a lot of people but also a lot of dogs and sometimes horses, neither of whom are allowed on the main beach in the summer holidays. Please feel free to bring your dog, as I will be doing, but probably not your horse on this particular day!
The tides and the wind change the shape of the beach daily and it is particularly necessary to be aware of the approach of the sea as the tide comes in.
It is the biggest expanse of sandy beach in East Sussex and walking along it can be exhilarating, particularly at the end beyond Camber village, known as Broomhill Sands, where new sea defences create a great viewpoint for watching the numerous kite-surfers on both the beach and the sea when the tide is out. The golf course and land beyond Camber Sands beach is protected by the only sand dunes in East Sussex.
The walk today will start with an extended walk around the lower area of Rye, followed by a walk down by the River Rother to the beach itself. Hopefully the tide will allow us to walk along the whole beach to Broomhill Sands, then back along the sea defences to the Camber Sands café and service area.
After that we return to Rye via a slightly different route to explore the central area of the town, where doubtless we shall flock to a certain bookshop to see if they are repeating last year's amusing window display! From there we shall hopefully find a nice pub or tea room before returning home.
What to bring
Water: bring at least a litre
Medicines: if you have hay fever, diabetes, minor ailments etc.
Rucksack: It is usual to bring a small rucksack on any ODL walks
Footwear: hiking boots or very sturdy waterproof trainers
Layered clothing: lets you quickly adapt to changes in the weather and body temperature. Go for a base layer (vest or t-shirt) and a mid layer (a micro fleece or shirt) and in cooler weather add an outer layer (a windproof jacket or thick fleece)
Trousers: ideally not jeans which become heavy and cold in the rain, breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry and on warm days shorts are OK
Waterproof jacket: breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry
Hat or cap: stay warm in winter and shaded in summer
Sunglasses: for any sunny day, even in winter
Sun cream: can be useful even on cloudy and winter days
Snacks: bring biscuits, energy bars, gels, bananas, chocolate or dried fruit for example and put them somewhere easy to get hold of
Lunch: bring a packed lunch
Food & drink
We will arrive at the Camber Sands café area in time to hopefully buy hot food and drink there if required, but I suggest you also bring your own picnic with you. They don't like people eating their own meals at their tables, even in Winter, but a buying a bowl of chips or some soup should placate them.
There are shops close by Rye station.