RYE SMILES

Sussex Border Path Leg 11

Despite cutting short the previous day's walk, we set out early next morning (after a full English breakfast of course) before it became too hot again. So, back to Ewhurst and off across more orchards

and fields of crops, some with clear paths,

some without.

And there's Northiam. Could we have walked that bit yesterday?  No, I think we'd had enough.

 Then, to emphasise the slightly cooler weather, we even had a shower of rain. 

Part of a very old hedge.

The path then led through an abandoned orchard,

across a meadow,

over a stile with a superfluous notice,

across a stretch of desert,

and then over a stile, with the most helpful waymark I've seen,

 to our key objective, the River Rother, which flows down to Rye.

A bee on a teazle.

We were expecting a nice 6 mile stroll along the river bank into the town.  But it was heavy going.

A boat graveyard.

The river runs into the Royal Military Canal, the lower part of which is tidal.  Unusual to see sheep without grass.  Maybe they were trying to cool off?

The canal was built as protection against invasion from France.  I thought it was kind of the local council to provide a notice explaining that - in French.  But it's a boring stretch of bank and water, so no pics.  Never the less, at last we were walking down Mermaid Street towards the Mermaid Inn.

The inn was rebuilt in 1420.  The cellars date back though to the 12th century.  And here we are!  Yes, grounds to celebrate.  150 miles in only 18 months!  And thanks to Jeffers for his direction.

Not one of my pics (obviously).  Here's one of mine though of the inn's entrance hall.