Today we checked out of  the Abode hotel, loaded the coach and headed for the small town of Rye. On the way, we stopped at the little town of Brookland to see St. Augustine's Church, built in 1250 AD. It is unusual because the are "pew boxes" inside the church and the bell tower actually sits on the ground beside the church because of the marshy ground! The church itself could not withstand the weight of the bell tower, so it was built on the ground beside the church. It also has an unusual divided entry doorway-saloon door style. We walked around the church and cemetery, then were back on the coach, heading for Rye. Rye is a wonderfully preserved old town with many half-timbered houses and tales of smugglers! The Mermaid Inn dates back to 1158 AD. The English Channel used to come right up to the town, but over the many years of silt, it is now a mile away. We spent 2 hours discovering Rye on our own-the main sites for me were the Mermaid Inn, Water Tower, Ypres Tower, St. Mary's Church and clock, and the Landgate. We had time for lunch at Rye, then boarded the coach for Battle Abbey-the site of the Battle of Hastings. It was a short drive-only 20 minutes away. When we arrived, we were given our maps and audio guides and we were off on our own to explore. I saw the abbey ruins and the battlefield itself. Next, we headed for Beachy Head to view the beautiful white cliffs. As we drove in elevation to the top of the cliff, the fog started to roll in. I was afraid there would be nothing to view, but once we got out of our coach and walked the path to the edge, I could see down to the English Channel and view the lighthouse below. It was quite windy. The white cliffs were beautiful! But alas, we could not stay long. It was off to Alfriston where we would stay the night. What a great day! 

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