Rye, town (parish), Rother district, administrative county of East Sussex, historic county of Sussex, southeastern England. It is situated on a hill by the River Rother, about 2 miles (3 km) from the English Channel.
Originally a seaport, Rye was incorporated in 1289 and became a full member of the Cinque Ports (a confederation of English Channel ports) about 1350. Edward III walled the town, but, of the three original 14th-century entrance gates, only Land Gate remains, together with the earlier Ypres Tower (12th century). Buildings of special interest include the Mermaid Inn (1420) and the 18th-century house in which the novelist Henry James spent his later years. From the 15th century the port declined as silting proceeded, and the town has grown little outside its medieval perimeter. The community’s landmark buildings, cobbled streets, and timber-framed and Georgian houses attract many tourists. Pop. (2001) 4,009; (2011) 4,255.