Rye Castle Museum at Ypres Tower

The Ypres Tower dominates Rye's skyline - a proper medieval fortress that's been doing its job for nearly 700 years. What started as a defensive stronghold in the 1360s has morphed into the town's museum, and honestly, it's worth climbing those steep spiral stairs to understand what this place was actually for.

Inside, you get the real story of a town that's spent centuries fighting the sea, the French, and simple decay. The exhibits move through the rooms - medieval life, military bits, local archaeology - without feeling like someone's just dumped a gift shop's worth of stuff on shelves. The tower views across the Rye marshes and towards Winchelsea are the thing though. On a clear day you can see all the way to the coast, and that's when the place clicks into place: this tower was here to warn and protect.

It's strongest for history types and anyone with a genuine interest in medieval Sussex. Kids under about eight will struggle - it's genuinely narrow, quite dark, and there's not much to actively do beyond look and read. Allow 45 minutes if you're thorough, 30 if you're rushing.

If you're based at Rye Harbour Holiday Park or Camber Sands just down the road, this makes a sensible rainy-day stop, though it's small enough you wouldn't plan a whole day around it. Pop in, soak up the views, move on to explore the town's cobbled streets and decent restaurants.