Camber, East Sussex
Encyclopedia
Camber is a village and civil parish
in the English
county of East Sussex
, three miles (4.8 km) south-east of Rye
. The village is located behind the sand dunes that occupy the estuary
of the River Rother
, where the seaside settlement of Camber Sands
is situated.
The village of Camber takes its name from "the Camber" (la Chambre) the huge embayment of the English Channel located between Rye, old Winchelsea
and Old Romney
that was gradually lost to "innings" and silting-up following changes to the coastline and the changed course of the Eastern Rother since the Middle Ages.
Camber came into its own with the game of golf
: it was originally a collection of fishermen's dwellings. By the early 1890s, the number of visitors to Rye increased as tourism became more prevalent. One result of this was the building, in 1894, of Rye Golf Links
in the area of sand dunes which occupy the shores of Rye Bay. The Royal William Hotel opened that year, and gradually the new village expanded. The Rye and Camber Tramway
, a tourist railway originally opened for the members of the golf links to carry their gear, was opened in 1895; it closed to the public at the outbreak of World War II
and never reopened.
Camber Castle
otherwise known as Winchelsea Castle was built by Henry VIII
to guard the western entrance to "the Camber" in the 16th Century and is located half way between Rye and Winchelsea on the other side of the river.
sites adjacent to the beach. There are also seasonal shops and entertainments.
known as Dungeness, Romney Marsh and Rye Bay
is within the parish. This is a site of national biological and geological importance with various habitats such as shingle, saltmarsh, sand dunes and saline lagoons.
in Camber.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
, three miles (4.8 km) south-east of Rye
Rye, East Sussex
Rye is a small town in East Sussex, England, which stands approximately two miles from the open sea and is at the confluence of three rivers: the Rother, the Tillingham and the Brede...
. The village is located behind the sand dunes that occupy the estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
of the River Rother
River Rother (Eastern)
The River Rother , at 35 miles , is a river flowing through both East Sussex and Kent, England. Its source is near Rotherfield , and its mouth is on Rye Bay, part of the English Channel....
, where the seaside settlement of Camber Sands
Camber Sands
For historical information on the area, see Camber articleCamber Sands is a beach at the village of Camber , East Sussex, England...
is situated.
The village of Camber takes its name from "the Camber" (la Chambre) the huge embayment of the English Channel located between Rye, old Winchelsea
Winchelsea
Winchelsea is a small village in East Sussex, England, located between the High Weald and the Romney Marsh, approximately two miles south west of Rye and seven miles north east of Hastings...
and Old Romney
Old Romney
Old Romney is a village and civil parish in the Shepway District of Kent, England.The village, as its name suggests, is the original site of the settlement, and is situated two miles inland from New Romney...
that was gradually lost to "innings" and silting-up following changes to the coastline and the changed course of the Eastern Rother since the Middle Ages.
Camber came into its own with the game of golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
: it was originally a collection of fishermen's dwellings. By the early 1890s, the number of visitors to Rye increased as tourism became more prevalent. One result of this was the building, in 1894, of Rye Golf Links
Links (golf)
A links is the oldest style of golf course, first developed in Scotland. The word "links" comes from the Scots language and refers to an area of coastal sand dunes and sometimes to open parkland. It also retains this more general meaning in the Scottish English dialect...
in the area of sand dunes which occupy the shores of Rye Bay. The Royal William Hotel opened that year, and gradually the new village expanded. The Rye and Camber Tramway
Rye and Camber Tramway
The Rye and Camber Tramway was an English narrow gauge railway in East Sussex. It was of gauge. It operated from 1895 until 1939, connecting Rye to the nearby coast at Camber. It was a short line, only about in length, and had three stations - Rye, Golf Links and Camber Sands...
, a tourist railway originally opened for the members of the golf links to carry their gear, was opened in 1895; it closed to the public at the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and never reopened.
Camber Castle
Camber Castle
Camber Castle is one of Henry VIII's Device Forts, also known as Henrician Castles, built to protect the huge Rye anchorage .It is approximately 2 km south of Rye and 2 km northeast of Winchelsea....
otherwise known as Winchelsea Castle was built by Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
to guard the western entrance to "the Camber" in the 16th Century and is located half way between Rye and Winchelsea on the other side of the river.
Holiday resort
The area has two holiday parks and several caravanTravel trailer
A travel trailer or caravan is towed behind a road vehicle to provide a place to sleep which is more comfortable and protected than a tent . It provides the means for people to have their own home on a journey or a vacation, without relying on a motel or hotel, and enables them to stay in places...
sites adjacent to the beach. There are also seasonal shops and entertainments.
Landmarks
Part of the Site of Special Scientific InterestSite of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
known as Dungeness, Romney Marsh and Rye Bay
Dungeness, Romney Marsh and Rye Bay
Dungeness, Romney Marsh and Rye Bay is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest that stretches across two counties:Kent and East Sussex. It is of both geological and biological interest....
is within the parish. This is a site of national biological and geological importance with various habitats such as shingle, saltmarsh, sand dunes and saline lagoons.
Events
Each year (in November), the Rhythm Riot Festival, the biggest rock 'n roll festival in Europe, is held at Pontin'sPontin's
Pontins is a British holiday business which was originally founded in 1946 by Fred Pontin. It specialises in offering half-board and self-catering holidays with regular entertainment on offer. Accommodation is usually in the form of chalets. The company once grew to be a major operator of...
in Camber.