Winchelsea Beach (East Sussex)

Camber Castle, Until the late 16th century, most of the low lying ground between Rye and Winchelsea was a shallow harbour, called the Camber, protected from the sea by a long series of shingle banks. Henry VIII built a chain of artillery forts along the south coast to protect vulnerable and strategic areas. The existing tower at Camber was incorporated into a new fort built mid 16th century. There are monthly guided walks round Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, including the castle.

Rye Harbour has had a lifeboat station since the start of the 1800s. Now operates an inshore lifeboat. Limited station opening.

Lamb House, a fine brick-fronted 18th century house home to writer Henry James from 1898-1916, authors E. F. Benson and Rumer Godden.

Rye Watersports is a long established teaching centre offering lessons in Kitesurfing, Windsurfing, Dinghy Sailing and Stand Up Paddleboarding. Lessons in kitesurfing, windsurfing and sailing are taught on our coastal lake, mid-way between Rye and Camber. The nearby beaches of Camber Sands in East Sussex, and Greatstone in Kent are where we run our kitesurfing lessons from.

Camber Sands beach is hidden behind dunes and is a popular family sandy beach, with picturesque dunes and interesting wildlife. Camber Sands is very popular as it offers golden sand and dunes rather than the more traditional Sussex pebble beach. The beach is divided into zoned areas (bathing, dog restricted, watersports), please check the beach signs. The dunes are formed from the sand that is blown inland which builds up around plants, debris and fences. A large section of the western end sit within the Camber Sands and Rye Saltings Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), while the rest is designated a Site of Nature Conservation Importance The marram grass that you see covering much of the dunes has a deep root system which helps to hold the sand in place. Traditional chestnut fences along the beach help sand to build up more quickly. The combination of plants and fences at Camber Sands prevent the dunes from moving and burying the village. Facilities at the beach include seasonal lifeguards, public telephone, toilets with disabled access, children’s play area, slipway, Coastal Control Office for lost children, first aid, cafe and deckchair hire. The village of Camber is very close to the beach and you have a selection of holiday parks to the east of the village. In Camber Village you have a selection of cafes, chip shops, general stores, a post office and a couple of pubs. There are three main car parks, Western car park on New Lydd Road, Central car park, and the car park on Old Lydd road. Both Western and Central also has large overflow car parks. Only Central has direct access to the beach. You have to tackle steep soft sandy paths over the dunes to reach the beach from the Western car park, making this unsuitable for those with prams, or wheelchairs.

Jury’s Gap beach is also known as Broomhill Sands and is at the eastern end of Camber Sands near to Jury’s Gap, hence the name. The beach is sandy with groynes and as the tide goes out you have a massive beach to play on. An excellent windsurfing and kite surfing beach and it has shallow water and lagoons either side of low tide. Jury’s Gap beach is really the watersports zone of Camber Sands and please check local signs to ensure you keep to the zone area. At low tide you have a lot of flat sand making this also a good kite buggy beach, check our tide times tab for help in planning your visit. Facilities include parking, toilets, food, more facilities towards Camber Sands.

The Kitesurf Centre is a leading BKSA Kite School offering kitesurfing lessons, kiteboarding courses, power kiting, kite buggying, kite landboarding, hydrofoiling and stand up paddleboarding (SUP). Located on Camber Sands beach, East Sussex but also teaching at Greatstone Kent on the South East Coast of England and just 1 hour from South London.