England's most perfectly preserved medieval town — cobblestones and smugglers
Rye is a medieval hill town in East Sussex that looks almost exactly as it did in the 16th century — a jumble of cobbled streets, half-timbered houses, and higgledy-piggledy rooftops tumbling down to the marshes. Once a Cinque Port and a major trading hub before the harbour silted up, Rye became a notorious smugglers' haven and is now one of England's best-preserved historic towns. The Mermaid Inn — rebuilt in 1420 — has served as a haunt for smugglers, highwaymen, and now literary pilgrims: Henry James lived here for 18 years.
Rye was one of the original Cinque Ports — the medieval federation of Sussex and Kent towns providing ships for the English Crown in exchange for trading privileges. The town was sacked and burned by the French in 1377 and 1448, after which the distinctive cobbled Mermaid Street was rebuilt with the houses still standing today. The harbour's gradual silting up from the 16th century cut Rye off from the sea and turned it from a major port into a sleepy backwater — accidentally preserving its medieval character. Henry James lived at Lamb House from 1898 to 1916.