Rye and Winchelsea’s unhurried appearance and ancient buildings disguise a history that ranges from Danish and French invaders to the notorious Hawkhurst gang of smugglers. E. F. Benson, creator of Mapp and Lucia, was mayor in places with residents as notable as Ellen Terry and Spike Milligan. And who was the painter who was also a Tory MP and the poet who was an expert on golf? Radclyffe Hall lived in Rye with her lover Lady Una Troubridge and came to call for the removal of their Catholic priest. John Wesley preached in Rye and Winchelsea and the Huguenots fled to both – their mark can be seen today. Few places are better known than Lamb House, but who knows much about it other than Henry James lived there?

In Secret Rye & Around author Terry Philpot takes the reader on a wide-ranging journey through these ‘antient’ towns, around their streets and across country, revealing the lesser-known facts and characters from the town and its surroundings.