Camber
Camber
Camber is a quiet seaside village close to the historic town of Rye – it boasts miles of stunning sandy beach with beautiful dunes offering a perfect retreat to breathe in the sea air or collapse in a dune for a restorative stretch! The big tides provide beach for all – kite and wind surfers glide effortlessly across the sea. Camber is simply a tonic for the soul.
Check out the Tide Table for high/low tide times.
Our Farmhouse, is Camber HQ and is one of the oldest houses on Romney Marsh, having been in the family since 1952 we have seen Camber develop into an all year destination, from summer escapes or perfect for bracing walks, log fires in wintery weather and an amble round the historic town of Rye never disappoints.
The award winning hotel The Gallivant is a must for a delicious bite to eat, they now have a pampering parlour – The Beach Hut for some fab treatments or a yoga session occasionally on the beach (weather permitting!). The Owl is our local pub with good fare. The Kitesurf Centre or Camber Kitesurfing is the perfect place to get going on the water! But do look at our other links with loads more sporty and cultural activities in the area. The beautiful historic town of Rye is only five minutes away with a plethora of independent shops and gorgeous places to eat and drink.
History
The village takes its name from ‘the Camber’ (la Chambre) the huge bay in the English Channel located between Rye, old Winchelsea and Old Romney that has gradually silted-up since the middle ages following changes to the coastline and the river. There was a tram from Rye to Camber to carry the golf bags – sadly lost after the Second World War and we would love to bring it back! Camber Castle was built by Henry VIII but due to the coastal changes now sits nearer Winchelsea!
Film, TV & Music connections
With its sheer size, beauty and proximity to London, Camber is forever being used as a back drop for directors for film, tv and music. Our most recent sprinkling of Hollywood glamour was the arrival of George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman and Hugh Bonneville, here for four days, the sun shone, Camber and Rye couldn’t have looked more gorgeous – so check out the Monuments Men, released in 2014, Wolseley (our golden retriever) and I did a lot of walking on the beach that week!
Ralph Fiennes shot and directed The Invisible Woman with Kirsten Scott Thomas. Daniel Day Lewis in Nine was seen running through the dunes. In 1962, the beach was used for the D-Day landing scenes in the epic war movie The Longest Day, films Dunkirk. and Carry On Follow That Camel was shot here during 1967 when Camber Sands doubled for the Sahara Desert although filming had to be stopped several times because the dunes were covered in snow!
On TV, Camber Sands’ holiday resort was seen in an episode of The Inbetweeners but most recently the BBC adaptation of Mapp and Lucia based on local author E F Benson. In music, Camber Sands is mentioned in Europe Is Our Playground by Suede; Pulling Mussels (From The Shell) by Squeeze; Diamonds and Pearls by The Holloways, It was also used as a title to Fatboy Slim’s EP single Camber Sands (EP).
Famously the first photographic shoot that catapulted Kate Moss to stardom Camber Sands backdrop!
Camber has an eclectic mix of styles – some left over from the 60s to cutting edge architecture attracting a new lease of life into the village. The easy access from London and the beauty of Rye makes it an ideal getaway at any time of year.
