Rye (Derivation (by stages) from OE; ''dry ground in the marsh'') is a town on a hill in East Sussex beside the River Rother, these days inland, but once a thriving seaport, one of the two [[Cinque Ports]] added (with [[Winchelsea]]) to the original five in the first half of the 14th century. Like so many other coastal places in England, its harbour silted up during the 16th century. It is a place of great popularity for its cobbled streets and buildings that speak of its foregone importance. | Rye (Derivation (by stages) from OE; ''dry ground in the marsh'') is a town on a hill in East Sussex beside the River Rother, these days inland, but once a thriving seaport, one of the two [[Cinque Ports]] added (with [[Winchelsea]]) to the original five in the first half of the 14th century. Like so many other coastal places in England, its harbour silted up during the 16th century. It is a place of great popularity for its cobbled streets and buildings that speak of its foregone importance. |