Camber Sands
Encyclopedia
For historical information on the area, see Camber
article
Camber Sands is a beach at the village of Camber
(near Rye
), East Sussex
, England
. It is the only sand dune system in East Sussex and is located east of the estuary of the River Rother
at Rye Bay all the way to the East Sussex/Kent
border.
system. This area is the only existing system in East Sussex
.
There are also several MoD
bases around the area.
, kiteboarding and kite buggying due to its large size, compact sand and favourable wind conditions. Kite launches are only allowed in the designated area at the eastern end of the beach near the Jury's Gap car park.
starring John Mills
to recreate Operation Dynamo
. They were used again as Normandy beaches during D-Day
in the 1962 epic The Longest Day
.
Carry On Follow That Camel
was shot on location here during the early months of 1967 when Camber Sands doubled for the Sahara Desert although filming had to be stopped several times because the dunes were covered in snow.
. It was also featured in Series 2 of Green Wing. Alan Statham and Joanna Clore appear both on the beach in the finale as well as in the Park Resort Holiday Park. The dunes were featured in a 2010 advertisement for 'Walls'
.
, "Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)
" by Squeeze (also covered by Head Automatica
), "Diamonds and Pearls" by The Holloways
, and "Heavyweight Champion of the World
" by Reverend and The Makers
. It was also used as a title to Fatboy Slim
's EP single Camber Sands (EP). Feeder
's 2003 video for "Forget About Tomorrow
", was partially shot on the beach.
The song "On Camber Sands" appears on Gordon Giltrap
's album Troubadour, and is a common feature in his live sets. Jose Vanders refers to Camber Sands in her song "For Now".
The cover of the 1980 LP record Beat Boys In The Jet Age by mod revival band, The Lambrettas
, was photographed on Camber Sands.
The cover of the Bucks Fizz
album I Hear Talk
, was photogaphed at Camber Sands.
Camber, East Sussex
Camber is a village and civil parish in the English county of East Sussex, three miles 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...
article
Camber Sands is a beach at the village of Camber
Camber, East Sussex
Camber is a village and civil parish in the English county of East Sussex, three miles 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...
(near 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...
), 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:...
, England
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...
. It is the only sand dune system in East Sussex and is located east of the estuary 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....
at Rye Bay all the way to the East Sussex/Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
border.
Dunes
Camber Sands is a site of scientific interest, geographical interest and nature conservation due its large duneDune
In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by wind. Dunes occur in different forms and sizes, formed by interaction with the wind. Most kinds of dunes are longer on the windward side where the sand is pushed up the dune and have a shorter "slip face" in the lee of the wind...
system. This area is the only existing system in 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:...
.
There are also several MoD
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
bases around the area.
Sporting activities
The beach has become a popular location for kitesurfingKitesurfing
Kitesurfing or Kiteboarding is an adventure surface water sport that has been described as combining wakeboarding, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding, and gymnastics into one extreme sport. Kitesurfing harnesses the power of the wind to propel a rider across the water on a small surfboard or a...
, kiteboarding and kite buggying due to its large size, compact sand and favourable wind conditions. Kite launches are only allowed in the designated area at the eastern end of the beach near the Jury's Gap car park.
Cultural references
Camber Sands, with its wide bay and large dune system, has been used in a variety of creative media.Films
The beach was used in the 1958 film DunkirkDunkirk (film)
Dunkirk is a 1958 British war film directed by Leslie Norman and starring John Mills, Richard Attenborough and Bernard Lee. It was based on two novels: Elleston Trevor's The Big Pick-Up and Lt. Col. Ewan Hunter and Maj. J. S...
starring John Mills
John Mills
Sir John Mills CBE , born Lewis Ernest Watts Mills, was an English actor who made more than 120 films in a career spanning seven decades.-Life and career:...
to recreate Operation Dynamo
Operation Dynamo
The Dunkirk evacuation, commonly known as the Miracle of Dunkirk, code-named Operation Dynamo by the British, was the evacuation of Allied soldiers from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk, France, between 26 May and the early hours of 3 June 1940, because the British, French and Belgian troops were...
. They were used again as Normandy beaches during D-Day
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
in the 1962 epic The Longest Day
The Longest Day (film)
The Longest Day is a 1962 war film based on the 1959 history book The Longest Day by Cornelius Ryan, about "D-Day", the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II....
.
Carry On Follow That Camel
Follow That Camel
Follow That Camel is the fourteenth Carry On film and was released in 1967. Like its predecessor Don't Lose Your Head, it does not have the words "Carry On" in its original title...
was shot on location here during the early months of 1967 when Camber Sands doubled for the Sahara Desert although filming had to be stopped several times because the dunes were covered in snow.
Television
Camber Sands holiday resort was seen in an episode of the E4 teen comedy The InbetweenersThe Inbetweeners
The Inbetweeners is a British sitcom which aired for three series from 2008 to 2010 on E4. Created and written by Damon Beesley and Iain Morris, the show follows the life of suburban teenager Will , and three of his friends at the fictional Rudge Park Comprehensive. The Inbetweeners Movie was...
. It was also featured in Series 2 of Green Wing. Alan Statham and Joanna Clore appear both on the beach in the finale as well as in the Park Resort Holiday Park. The dunes were featured in a 2010 advertisement for 'Walls'
Wall's (company)
Wall's is a United Kingdom-originated food brand, covering both meat products and ice cream, owned by Unilever. Founded in London in 1786 by butcher Richard Wall, it was acquired in 1922 by Lever Brothers, which became a part of Unilever in 1930. To avoid summer lay-offs due to the down turn in its...
.
Music
Camber Sands is mentioned in "Europe Is Our Playground" (B-side to "Trash") by SuedeSuede (band)
Suede are an English alternative rock band from London, formed in 1989. The group's most prominent early line-up featured singer Brett Anderson, guitarist Bernard Butler, bass player Mat Osman and drummer Simon Gilbert. By 1992, Suede were hailed as "The Best New Band in Britain", and attracted...
, "Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)
Pulling Mussels (From The Shell)
"Pulling Mussels " is a new wave song by the band Squeeze. First released on the 1980 album Argybargy, it received positive critical reviews, peaked at #44 on the UK Singles Chart, and became one of Squeeze's most popular songs...
" by Squeeze (also covered by Head Automatica
Head Automatica
Head Automatica is a Dance Rock band, formed by Glassjaw frontman Daryl Palumbo with Jarvis Holden, formerly of Give Up the Ghost or American Nightmare, Jim Greer, and Brandon Arnovick.-History:...
), "Diamonds and Pearls" by The Holloways
The Holloways
The Holloways are a four-piece indie-rock band from North London.-Formation:David Jackson and Bryn Fowler established the beginnings of the band, finding Rob Skipper at a local live music venue. They would meet later to jam together, playing in future drummer Dave Danger's room...
, and "Heavyweight Champion of the World
Heavyweight Champion of the World
"Heavyweight Champion of the World" is the "top ten" debut single by Reverend and The Makers, as well as the first single from their debut album The State Of Things. The single was released on May 6, 2007 on download only and was subsequently released on CD and 7" vinyl on May 28 that year...
" by Reverend and The Makers
Reverend and The Makers
Reverend and The Makers are an indie pop band based in Sheffield, England and signed to Wall of Sound. The band is fronted by Jon McClure, nicknamed "The Reverend"...
. It was also used as a title to Fatboy Slim
Fatboy Slim
Norman Quentin Cook better known by his former stage name Fatboy Slim, is a British DJ, electronic dance music musician, and record producer. He is a pioneer of the big beat genre that achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s...
's EP single Camber Sands (EP). Feeder
Feeder
-Technology:* Feeder , any of several devices used in apiculture to supplement or replace natural food sources* Feeder , another name for a riser, a reservoir built into a metal casting mold to prevent cavities due to shrinkage...
's 2003 video for "Forget About Tomorrow
Forget About Tomorrow
"Forget about Tomorrow" was the third single to be taken from Feeder's 2002 album Comfort in Sound.The single charted at number 12 in the UK...
", was partially shot on the beach.
The song "On Camber Sands" appears on Gordon Giltrap
Gordon Giltrap
Gordon Giltrap is an English acoustic and electric guitarist and composer, whose musical styles cross multiple genres, including folk, blues, folk rock, pop, classical and rock....
's album Troubadour, and is a common feature in his live sets. Jose Vanders refers to Camber Sands in her song "For Now".
The cover of the 1980 LP record Beat Boys In The Jet Age by mod revival band, The Lambrettas
The Lambrettas
The Lambrettas were an English mod revival band, active in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Named after the iconic Italian Lambretta scooter brand popular among Mods, the band was formed in Lewes...
, was photographed on Camber Sands.
The cover of the Bucks Fizz
Bucks Fizz (band)
Bucks Fizz are an English pop group who achieved success in the 1980s, most notably for winning the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Making Your Mind Up". The group was formed in January 1981 specifically for the contest and comprised four vocalists: Bobby G, Cheryl Baker, Mike Nolan and...
album I Hear Talk
I Hear Talk
I Hear Talk is an album by pop group Bucks Fizz. Released in 1984, this was the group's fourth studio album and featured the singles "Talking in Your Sleep", "Golden Days" and "I Hear Talk".- Overview :...
, was photogaphed at Camber Sands.