Marshlink Map of Local Railway System
The Mayor of Rye, Councillor Paul Osborne described the new Marshlink Map as “Excellent – even better than the one in the 1066 leaflet.”
The map demonstrates the importance of the Primrose Line from Ashford to Hastings and the further link to Eastbourne.
The description of Rye in the new Marshlink pamphlet is also very complementary and will help attract new visitors to the town.
Rye is a thriving market town, beautifully preserved, with a maze of cobbled streets crammed with medieval, Tudor and Georgian buildings, and many antique shops and art galleries. The town’s maritime heritage dates back to Norman times when it was owned by the Abbey of Fecamp in Normandy. By the 18th Century, Rye had become a major centre for smuggling and some of the secret tunnels and passages the smugglers crept through can be seen today on a Blue Badger Guide Tour. There are also two audio walking tours of the town available and an impressive walk to Camber Castle across the marshes. The Castle was built by Henry VIII in the 16th Century to protect Rye from invasion and is now owned by English Heritage.
Rye is surrounded by wonderful – countryside – Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, created on a number of shingle spits that have formed over the centuries, offers a unique opportunity to see all kinds of birds and wildlife in their natural habitat.
There can be no doubt that the Primrose line has improved immencely since the introduction of the new trains. The old diesels, first introduce in 1950, were getting well past their ‘sell-by’ date. The improvement has seen more and more customers using the line.
2008 could be a watershed for tourism in Rye. The railway seems to have cleaned up it’s act, there are no major roadworks predicted, the foot and mouth scare has passed and the weather forecast people are predicting a long hot summer.
The weight of traffic on the roads and the price of petrol have seen an ever growing band look towards the train as an alternative.
More cyclists are using the railways to ge to a starting point in the country for their ride. An ever growing band of cyclists are coming to Rye on the train and taking one of the popular cycle routes over the Romney Marsh, eventually getting to Ashford where they catch the train back to London.
Could 2008 be the year of the train? Only time will tell.
Rye’s Own January 2008
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