In September we welcomed a new addition into our household, with the arrival of a second son, Indie, making us now a family of four. Speaking from experience, travelling with one child can be daunting, but double the nappy load and all the items a new-born baby requires, a family trip away seemed almost impossible. That was until I found the ideal staycation property in East Sussex through holidaycottages.co.uk.
With its cobbled alleys and untouched medieval properties, the ancient surroundings of Rye greets visitors with both charm and heritage.
Making the perfect location for a laid-back weekend break, the use of a holiday apartment gave us flexibility and a homely base to explore the area without pressure and the worry of upsetting other guests with a screaming baby!
The property
Like its surroundings ‘Taskar’ is full of character with an Indian-inspired interior. Situated in The Mint through a small passageway on the twittens, the 16th century apartment spreads over three floors, so it may be worth noting that if you have difficulty with stairs, there are many to climb.
You can forgive the higgledy-piggledy layout in a period property of this type; it has been sensitively refurbished over time but retains original features throughout including exposed beams and an Inglenook fireplace.
There is a modern, spacious kitchen, perfect for self-catering or preparing the plates for fish and chips, the chippy just happens to be a few doors down. The living room offers a large social space and is furnished with bright colourful sofas and an impressive painted table set. On sunny days, the light streams through the sash windows making it a warm and enjoyable space to spend time in.
There are three bedrooms, a master just off the living room, with a window seat, ideal for watching the world go by, and two further adjoining bedrooms one floor up in the eaves. The property has pretty much everything you need during your stay, including white fluffy towels and Netflix.
The local area and what to do
Rye was once a port town but over time the estuary gradually silted up and now the hilltop is two miles from the coast but maintains its seaside ambience. It’s full of quaint little lanes featuring independent shops, cafes and galleries, so this is a good place to start when you are finding your feet.
Rye is not short of history, so pop along to Rye Castle Museum and discover the tower’s roles throughout the nine centuries. Climb the tower and see the town’s best views and Rother estuary.
For nature lovers, the harbour nature reserve has over 280 species of birds and is the perfect place to spot a seal. If you love the beach, Camber Sands is just a short trip up the road. A glorious backdrop of massive golden dunes stretching for miles, get busy with buckets and spades or take the opportunity to relax and chill out. It can get windy so be sure to take your wind break.
For National Trust members, Bodiam Castle is a moated property that is a great place to take children to join in with interactive activities. Finally, St Mary’s church has one of the oldest functioning church turret clocks in the country, but I enjoyed visiting for different reasons – the views!
Eating out
There are so many great places to eat and drink, not only in the Citadel, but within five miles there are probably 30 places offering fresh local produce.
For brunch or your morning coffee, Whitehouse café offers the most exceptional menu and fresh coffee. The Eggs Benedict was the best I have had for a long time. The Mermaid Inn is a favourite amongst visitors with its huge Inglenook and open log fire, and offers an excellent selection of wines, hand pumped ales and an extensive bar menu.
If, like me, you love a pizza, at the bottom of the road is Simply Italian, serving authentic cuisine, freshly made pizzas, traditional pasta dishes and seasonal daily specials. And, as mentioned earlier, a family trip away would be nothing without a fish and chip supper, so Marino’s Fish Bar couldn’t be more conveniently placed just a few doors down from Taskar.
The verdict
I would certainly love to return to Rye, a weekend was not quite long enough to explore places a little further afield. Having a base was essential in making our trip more stress-free, it gave us the option to come and go as we pleased. Situated right in the heart of this popular destination Taskar offers its guests comfort, accessibility to the town and convenience when visiting local attractions and eateries.
Factbox
For more information contact holidaycottages.co.uk
