For those of you who took the opportunity to go for a walk in the sunshine to Camber Sands on Christmas Day you may have notice a plethora of new signs and, whether you are arriving on foot or by car, you are now under no impression that you are welcome on land owned by Rye Golf Club.
In addition to the "people counters" that appeared last year, that count the number of walkers, new signage has appeared informing walkers that they are on a "permissive path" - ie it is not a public right of way and the permission to walk on the path can be withdrawn by Rye Golf Club.
For drivers using the tramway to take their dogs for a walk on the beach, and who park at the old station house, the message is even clearer - don’t do it.
Rye Golf Club have put up signs saying "Private Parking for members of RYE GOLF CLUB ONLY". In addition a number of signs have been erected as you enter the road, saying "STOP. PRIVATE ROAD. STRICTLY NO ACCESS. AUTHORISED FOR RYE GOLF CLUB AND HARBOURMASTER ONLY". And if you didn’t get the message further signs says "STOP. NO ACCESS. STRICTLY PRIVATE ROAD", while another says, "RYE GOLF CLUB. PRIVATE LAND. NO ACCESS TO THE SEA OR THE BEACH. SEA (CAMBER)" and contains a helpful arrow ⬅️ pointing you towards Camber.
The stretch of path from Rye along the river Rother to Camber is one of the most popular paths locally. As Rye News recently reported most of it will be closed by the Environmental Agency to allow for the flood defences to be strengthened.
No National Coast Path through Rye
Readers will remember that the stretch from Rye to Camber Sands is also one of the breaks in the National Coast Path that is being developed by Nature England. As previously reported the path will not be coming through Rye because of objections from Rye Golf Club to walkers using the old tramway. “There is a strong likelihood that any such imposing of the pathway across our golf course would result in a significant increase in footfall which in turn could seriously impact the ability to retain a number of golf holes because of health and safety. We continue to reserve the right to review the use of the permissive pathways", a spokesperson from Rye Golf Club said earlier in the year.
At the time of writing it is unclear if alternative paths are being explored by Nature England but at a recent Rye Town Council meeting it was agreed that the Environmental Agency should be pressed to create a path all the way along the river Rother, from Monk Bretton Bridge through to Camber Sands, along the top of the new flood defences. "Any future work on the Environment Agency's flood defence works around Rye, such as the Eastern Rother Tidal Walls Scheme, provide an opportunity to make improvements to both routes into Rye and connections between those linking outside" say the minutes of the meeting.
This would go some way to replace the rights of way along the River Rother that ESCC have allowed to become impassable and may also deter walkers from exercising their right of way to walk across Rye golf course.
One of the positive outcomes of the Covid-19 pandemic is that people have dusted off their OS maps and rediscovered the beautiful coast and countryside around Rye. The UK government and East Sussex County Council have both issued plans to encourage us to walk and cycle more, but these plans rely upon local authorities and landowners to show willing and to give, and maintain, access.
After all, the strengthening of the flood defences along the Rother, which will in turn protect Rye Golf Club from future flooding, is being paid for from the public purse. It only seems fair that the public should be guaranteed access into the future. We can only hope that the plethora of signs recently put up by Rye Golf Club isn’t an indication that they are about to restrict access to one of the most popular walks locally.
