It feels that the only thing to look forward to this year has been the dog walk and while most of our walks have been out of our front door we do still have some gorgeous places within a 15-minute drive, and one of those is the Rye Nature Reserve.
This is a walk for all seasons, covering around 465 hectares, there is a lot on offer. From a beautiful wander along the coastline between Rye Harbour and Winchelsea to walking through the shingle and saltmarsh habitats of the reserve, as well over the grasslands towards Camber Castle.
The area is also significantly important for the birds and animals within the reserve, and the many rare flowers and plants you will find, plus, there is also historic interest with military fortifications from the 16th, 19th and 20th centuries, as well as a memorial to a devastating lifeboat disaster at the Mary Stanford Lifeboat House.
What makes Rye Nature Reserve a great dog walk is the fact there is a great network of footpaths, it is generally flat, and there are a lot of sniffing opportunities, which is always very important for our Falcon. While it doesn’t state you should keep dogs on leads, there are birds and wildlife around, it is a nature reserve after all. We generally keep Falcon on his lead on the footpaths, as there are always lots of other walkers and even cyclists, as well as in grasslands with farm animals grazing. When we get to the shingle beach we let him off by the water for a run and a splash and that generally makes him quite happy.
Best walks – Rye Nature Reserve
There are several trails you can follow. The short circular trail, about 2 miles, starts at Rye Harbour car park and loops through the saltmarsh nature reserve, passing three birdwatching hides and the beach. This is a lovely and very popular wander, flat and great mix of tarmac and gravel pathways.
For a normal dog walk, we generally do the medium circular route, which is about 4 miles. Mostly the same as the short trail, but also includes a look at the Mary Stanford Lifeboat House and a return along the shingle track through Rye Harbour farm. We just find that this walk offers more off-lead opportunities as Falcon can have a run through the waves on the beach. Also, take a flask and have a moment on the benches near the lifeboat house the view is amazing.
There is also a longer trail, around 6 miles, that goes down the beachfront towards Winchelsea and then loops back via Camber Castle and down Rye Harbour Road.
There is a map available to download on Sussex Wildlife Trust’s website and it has all the suggested routes on it, and I’ve embedded the Google Map one at the bottom of the post to help.
How to get to Rye Nature Reserve and where to park
There are several entry points but the main one is in the village of Rye Harbour where there’s a large car park next to the Martello Tower, the nearest postcode for Sat Nav is TN31 7TX. It is a free car park, but there is a donation box, and it is always a nice idea to leave your change in.
There are limited facilities at the moment while they finish off the new visitor centre. There are toilets and several local businesses, including a very good pub that serves food. But in 2021, there will be a shiny new discovery centre that will have a cafe and a shop.
Rye Nature Reserve, Rye Harbour, TN31 7TX
