We have friends who live just north of Sunderland and took the opportunity when travelling back up from Rye (and Ashby de la Zouch) to visit them.

On the way we passed through East Boldon which is part of a group of villages called the Boldons which also includes West Boldon and Boldon Colliery, historically in the County of Durham but now administratively part of South Tyneside.

I spotted this Art Deco building and stopped to photograph it. Rule of three in main windows, plus porthole window:-

Side of building. Critallish windows. Those at rear have been poked out though:-

Frontage. Deco fanlight, Critall windows to left above East Boldon Dental Practice:-

On leaving Rye we travelled along the south coast through East Sussex using the A 27, past the Falmer Stadium (known as the Amex) on Brighton’s outskirts, just before the turning for Lewes, the county town.

I didn’t see any Art Deco but there was a War Memorial, perched on a traffic island halfway up the High Street.

It’s topped by a winged figure of Victory. Apart from the dedication, the shields attached to the base of the memorial bear Great War names:-

From north:-

The right-hand shield at the bottom here has the dedication, “In memory of the men of Lewes who died for their country and for mankind n the Great War 1914-1918.” The column above it is inscribed, “Likewise remember those of this town who gave their lives in the war 1939-1945.” The rectangular plaque has names for World War 2:-

From west:-

From east. The column is inscribed, “This was their finest hour” and again the rectangular plaque has WW2 names:-

On the walls of Lamb House, Rye, were a couple of paintings of interest.

The first was of the house itself, showing how it looked before the Music Room was destroyed in World War 2:-

The second was a street view from one of the windows painted by Beatrix Potter:-

I took this photo of the same view. Note the twisted chimney on the building which partly obscures St Mary’s Church:-

This is from street level:-

Closer view:-

Reverse view:-

I have posted about Lamb House, Rye, previously.

The staircase faces you as you enter:-

The study is to the right hand side:-

The books in the glazed bookcase above this fireplace must have got hot when the fire was on!:-

To the left of the staircase lies the drawing room:-

The dining room is at the back of the house from where doors lead out to the garden:-

Rye’s War Memorial stands in the south-east corner of St Mary’s Churchyard. It was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield in the form which was adopted as the Cross of Sacrifice. The cross surmounts a three-stage octagonal plinth, standing on a two-stage octagonal base.

There are in total 142 Great War Names, plus 42 for World War 2 and one each for the Gulf War and Iraq.

Inscribed on the first step of plinth below the names is, “In memory of the officers and men from Rye who gave their lives in the Great War MCMXIV – MCMXIX.” On the next step below, “Their name liveth forevermore,” and below again, “Also to those who fell in the 1939-1945 war.”

View from Landgate:-

Timbered House, Bellwatch Street:-

Another timbered house with unusual projecting window:-

This house also had a projecting window:-

Hilly streets:-

Street corner:-

Town Hall with St Mary’s Church Tower behind:-

Old Street by St Mary’s Church:-

Mermaid Inn Arch:-

At the top of the hill is the High Street:-

One shopkeeper could not resist the obvious pun:-

From the top of Ypres Tower (Rye Castle) there is a view across the River Rother – into which the River Tillingham flows just by the Tower – out to the sea. As seen in this photo.

Turning left to look east the building in the foreground below used to be a Women’s Prison:-

The Ypres Castle Inn also lies just below the Tower:-

I mentioned before that Ypres Tower is a museum. As well as containing exhibits relating to the history of Rye – including a relief map showing how the sea used to lap around the town in Roman Times and its gradual retreat thereafter – there is a broadsword from which part of the Cross of Sacrifice in British War Cemeteries was modelled by Sir Reginald Blomfield.

Rye has a long history. It was once a seaport but the sea has long retreated/silted up.

The older part of the town lies on a hill above the coastal plain. One of the approaches still retains the ancient Landgate:-

Closer view:-

View down towards gate from higher up the hill:-

Another very old building is the Ypres Tower/Rye Castle which now houses a museum. The tower has nothing to do with the Belgian town of the same name. It once belonged to a cloth merchant, Jean d’Ypres, and the name has stuck.

There is an old pair of stocks still standing just outside the east end of the Tower:-

The first place we entered in Rye, apart from the hotel, was an antique shop.

Imagine my surprise to find the tail fins from a Soviet MiG Fighter for sale!

There was also this Art Deco poster of Bexhill-on-Sea, featuring the town’s iconic Art Deco/Moderne De La Warr Pavilion:-

And a jolly elephant (the company’s logo is an elephant) on a French (language) advert for Côte d’Or milk chocolate with the added bonus of an Art Deco style building in the background:-

Our furthest flung destination in September last year was Rye in East Sussex. The good lady had always wanted to visit as she is a keen fan of E F Benson’s Mapp and Lucia books and they were set in Rye where Benson lived for a long time. He in fact became mayor of the town.

Benson called his fictional town Tilling, naming it after the (very tidal) River Tillingham which flows through the town and on whose banks our hotel stood.

River Tillingham (and River Haven Hotel, the main building over the river):-

Bellwatch Lane, Rye. I believe this bell was set up here to warn of French invaders:-