A few miles from the beautiful town of Rye is the stunning setting of Camber – the largest sandy beach south of London!  On sunny days it can get busy but most of the time it is the most beautiful spot to while away an afternoon – or walk from Rye through the fields and onto the coastguard path.   Have lunch in one of the eateries or bring a picnic, sit in the dunes and enjoy the vast expanse of the beach.

Check out the Tide Table for high/low tide times.

The award winning hotel The Gallivant is a must for a delicious bite to eat, they are now offering a pampering parlour too, book at –  The Beach Hut for some fab treatments or a yoga session occasionally on the beach (weather permitting!). The Owl is the local pub with good fare.  Camber Kitesurfing and The Kite Surf Centre is the perfect place to get going on the water!  But do look at our other links with all the best attractions in the area.

The village takes its name from ‘the Camber’ (la Chambre) the huge bay in the English Channel located between Rye, old Winchelsea and Old Romney that has gradually silted-up since the middle ages following changes to the coastline and the river.  There was a tram from Rye to Camber to carry the  golf bags – sadly lost after the Second World War and we would love to bring it back!  Camber Castle was built by Henry VIII but due to the coastal changes now sits nearer Winchelsea!

Film, TV & Music connections

With its sheer size, beauty and proximity to London, Camber is forever being used as a back drop for directors for film, tv and music.  Our most recent sprinkling of Hollywood glamour was the arrival of George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman and Hugh Bonneville, here for four days, the sun shone, Camber and Rye couldn’t have looked more gorgeous – so check out the Monuments Men, released in 2014, Wolseley (our golden retriever) and I did a lot of walking on the beach that week!

Ralph Fiennes shot and directed The Invisible Woman with Kirsten Scott Thomas.  Daniel Day Lewis in Nine was seen running through the dunes.  In 1962, the beach was used for the D-Day landing scenes in the epic war movie The Longest Day, films Dunkirk. and Carry On Follow That Camel was shot here during 1967 when Camber Sands doubled for the Sahara Desert although filming had to be stopped several times because the dunes were covered in snow!

On TV, Camber Sands’ holiday resort was seen in an episode of The Inbetweeners but most recently the BBC adaptation of Mapp and Lucia based on local author E F Benson.  In music, Camber Sands is mentioned in Europe Is Our Playground by Suede; Pulling Mussels (From The Shell) by Squeeze; Diamonds and Pearls by The Holloways, It was also used as a title to Fatboy Slim’s EP single Camber Sands (EP).

Famously the first photographic shoot that catapulted Kate Moss to stardom Camber Sands backdrop!

Camber is a must visit when coming to Rye!

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