Camber sands

How do I get to Camber I hear you ask. Well worry no more coz I'm gonna tell you.
If you're doing the public transport thing, then get a train to Rye, Sussex station. Come out of the station and in front of you is some bus stops. You need to get the 711 bus heading to Lydd / Folkestone . That'll take you through Camber, it's only about 3 miles. Or just get a taxi from outside the station, it shouldn't cost too much if there's say 4 of you sharing.
If you're driving and coming from Hastings way, then head out on the coast road, the A259 to Rye and pretty much follow the signs from there. If you're heading in from London way then the M20 is my choice. Come off at junction 10 and follow the signs for the A2070 to Brenzett or Lydd. When you get to the Brenzett roundabout with the Total garage go straight on for a few miles until you come to the left turning for Camber. Real easy.
If you need more complex directions then what are you doing driving on public roads, get a bus pass or something.
( only joking, buses are rubbish )

Camber has 7 miles of Blue Flag award winning beach. It has the only sand dune system in East Sussex and is a valuable habitat for many different animals and plants. The village of Camber is very close to the beach and the dunes system that exists today helps to protect it from the sea.
The dunes form as sand is blown inland and builds up around plants,debris and fences. The grasses that you see covering a lot of the dunes have deep root systems that help to hold the sand in place and a combination of plants and fences helps to prevent the dunes from moving and burying the village.
So please, take care of the dunes. Try to keep to the pathways and take any rubbish away with you. There are lots of bins out there in the season, try to use them.
Don't have any open fires, it's incredibly dangerous and also camping is not allowed on the dunes.
Oh yeah, pick up your dog mess. It's not nice seeing kids treading in it. You will be fined if you don't.

Over the years there have been a few ships that have sunk off Camber. In the 1800's The City of Delhi, The S.S. Alton Towers, S.S.H.A.Brightman, Queen Victoria of Dublin and the Van Domien were some of the unfortunate ships. The Van Domien was a Dutch ship said to be carrying a cargo of grass destined for South America. It has been said that this could be how the dunes got their grass when the seeds were washed ashore. Who knows. Could've just been the wind carrying the seeds.. The H.M.T. Caulonia sank off Camber in 1944.
During the war, Camber had its share of ack ack batteries and searchlights as it was in the first line of defence and all the name signs were removed so if the Germans did get through they would not be sure where they were.

Camber has been used as a film location a number of times, standing in for the Sahara Desert in Carry on follow that camel and also as the Dunkirk evacuation beaches.
There have also been a lot of adverts and series filmed here too. I often see the camera crews out on the beach when I'm walking my dogs.

This huge ship washed up on the beach in a storm a while back, and as a resident of Camber, it was my duty to try to shift it. Alas I failed.Maybe it was the weight of it all but I'm here to tell you it just would not budge. Someone else reported that they tried to claim scrap rights to it having discovered it first with their metal detector. I've got news for you, your detector is working fine, but I'm worrying about how much it cost if this is the smallest item it has picked up. Hmmm, coins might be a problem then. Ha ha, cool.

Right, here's a few phone numbers you may or may not find useful.

Sussex police 0845 6070999 or just the last 3 digits in an emergency obviously.
Electricity emergency number 0800 085 5290
Gas emergency number 0800 111999
East Sussex county council 01273 481000 general enquiries etc.
Rother district council 01424 787878 general enquiries etc.
Conquest hospital, Hastings. 01424 755255
William Harvey Hospital, Ashford, 01233 633331
Tourist information numbers as follows....
Rye 01797 226696, Hastings 01424 781111, Battle 01424 773721, Bexhill 01424 732208
Rye and district community transport, special needs etc, 01797 227722
Rail enquiries, fares timetables etc. 08457 484950

That's it for now. If you've got any useful ones you think should be here then let me know.

*******************************
Wisteria Corner,
47 Ferry Road, Rye , East Sussex.
A short walk from the centre or Rye and close to Camber.B&B with a 3 diamond ETC rating.Very reasonable prices. More details on 01797 225011.

*******************************
The Green Owl, 11 Old Lydd Road, Camber. Accommodation, food and drink.
01797 225284

*******************************
Camber Leisure Park with various facilities. Static caravans,tourers, tents and chalets.
0870 442 9297

*******************************
Pontins holiday camp. Contact via their website which is somewhere in cyber space, don't know where but when they put a link to this site on their site then I will return the favour and do the same. Works both ways, what do you reckon.

*******************************
CAMPING.
If you don't mind being about 5 miles the other side of Camber in Lydd then I have just found a small site close to a lake and the Heron restaurant just past Lydd international racetrack where they do go kart racing and super-moto etc. It's only £5 per night. Call them on 01797 321895 for details. Or if you go through Lyyd towards New Romney there is a farm site on the left before the T junction. Not sure of their prices but phone them on 01797 361499 for details.
Camping at Camber Leisure
Latest update is that they officially have space for 48 tourers and 20 tents. It gets busy, especially in the season so probably best to book in advance. Ring them direct on
01797 222497. Beware, the ground gets wet just where all the tents and caravans go. Great.

If you want me to list your business here then e.mail me some details, try to be a bit polite and I'll see what I can do.

NOTE.... If you are a pet owner coming to stay down here then be warned....
THERE ARE NO VETS THAT I CAN RECOMMEND IN CAMBER OR ANY OF THE IMMEDIATE SURROUNDING AREAS....REPEAT....NO VETS THAT I CAN RECOMMEND IN ANY SHAPE OR FORM. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. DON'T GET RIPPED OFF.

Well, if you're into windsurfing, kite surfing or canoeing then Rye Watersports can help. Contact them on 01797 225238 or visit their site at www.ryewatersports.co.uk.
Or for jetskiing or waterskiing there's Action watersports over at Lydd just a few miles from Camber. Contact them on 01797 321885 or www.actionwatersports.co.uk.

There's quite often various things going on in the community hall in Camber or up at the Camber Castle pub. Worth checking them out if you're here.

For anyone re-visiting this site, I have changed the format to one page to make things just a bit more straight forward and also in the hope that people will read through it all.
However, I realise it may not suit everyone, especially those without broadband such as myself, so apologies to those people.
If you have any ideas or suggestions, preferably polite ones, then e.mail me, you never know, I might even read them.
Meanwhile, here's some pictures to feast your eyes on.

Hound lovers.
I get a lot of e.mails from people all over that are coming down here to walk their dogs etc. No problem as far as I'm concerned but there are rules and you will need to familiarise yourself with them. Basically, there are parts of the beach that dogs are not allowed on in the season, May through to Sept., and they must be on a lead on the other bits of the beach. However, there has been people complaining as a lot of lazy so called dog lovers don't pick up after their dogs . I have witnessed it happening and I'm sure the people who do it wouldn't want their own kids treading in it, so why leave it there. There's plenty of bins, so pick it up. There is talk of an outright ban on dogs on the beach in the season. I think it is going to happen. It's just a question of when , not if. Not my fault. Blame the morons.

For members of the horsey set.
I get quite a few e.mails from people wanting to know if it's OK to take their horses on the beach and when is the best time. Well, low tide, obviously, Also, I think common sense prevails. If there are lots of people about then just be extra carefull. I think the best times are early on or evening time when it's not so busy.

Low Tides for April weekends are ( all include BST adjustments )
5th 18.00
6th 0600 and 19.00
12th 10.30
13th 11.30
19th 17.30
20th 0600 and 18.30
26th 0900
27th shall I print it, oh go on then , I know of at least one person wants this one 09.30

PLEASE NOTE. All tide times are for LOW TIDES and are only approx. to within about half an hour but that should suffice. My maths is crap and I only have a supply of high tides

A quick word of advice. If it's real windy and you're thinking of going over the dunes then the bare minimum you will need is glasses or goggles and a scarf. Yes, it's great fun but it's like sticking your head into a sand blasting cabinet when the wind picks up. And don't be deceived by the protection offered by the dunes on the land side of them. It might seem calm, but climb the dunes and you'll soon know why I've just warned you about this. Have fun.

Just a quick paragraph in answer to some recent queries......No, I can't send you the tide times for the rest of the year. No, I don't know of any cheap land so you can invade Camber and build some second rate junk on it. No, I'm not telling you what you can and can't do on the dunes. I'm just telling you what the local laws or rules are regarding the dunes. If you are stupid enough to break them or not abide by them then expect to be classed as just another ignorant moron happy to ruin a very special place. Yes, I'm talking to you, here to help, as always.
ps. no, I'm not angry, it's just that I have a sense of humour.

I get daily enquiries about places to eat, drink or stay and where can I recommend. Well, I haven't really been to the restaurants here so that's why I don't recommend them as such, not because any of them have done anything wrong, in fact I'm told by other people that most are good but that is their opinion only, It's not my job to spend my money sampling stuff just so I can write about it on here,and no, it's not my duty to do that. If you want me to put your business on here then fine but you're going to have to make some effort to get me the info about it by e.mail only now otherwise it ain't gonna happen.