Camber, East Sussex

Camber
Aerial view, showing the proximity of Little Cheyne Court Wind Farm
Camber  Camber shown within East Sussex
Area	14.1 km2 (5.4 sq mi) [1]
Population	1,265 (Parish-2011)[2]
– density	87/sq mi (34/km2)
OS grid reference	TQ966188
– London	56 miles (90 km) NW
District	Rother
Shire county	East Sussex
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	RYE
Postcode district	TN31
Dialling code	01797
Police	Sussex
Fire	East Sussex
Ambulance	South East Coast
EU Parliament	South East England
UK Parliament	Hastings and Rye
Website	Camber Parish Council
List of places UK England East Sussex

Coordinates: 50°56′N 0°48′E / 50.94°N 0.80°E / 50.94; 0.80

Camber is a village and civil parish in the English county of East Sussex, three miles (4.8 km) 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 the Camber (la Chambre) the huge embayment of the English Channel located between Rye, old Winchelsea and Old Romney that was gradually lost to "innings" and silting-up following changes to the coastline and the changed course of the Eastern Rother since the Middle Ages.

Camber came into its own with the game of golf: it was originally a collection of fishermen's dwellings. By the early 1890s, the number of visitors to Rye increased as tourism became more prevalent. One result of this was the building, in 1894, of Rye Golf Links in the area of sand dunes which occupy the shores of Rye Bay. The Royal William Hotel opened that year, and gradually the new village expanded. The Rye and Camber Tramway, a tourist railway originally opened for the members of the golf links to carry their gear, was opened in 1895; it closed to the public at the outbreak of World War II and never reopened.^[3]

Camber Castle, otherwise known as Winchelsea Castle, was built by Henry VIII to guard the western entrance to "the Camber" in the 16th Century and is located half way between Rye and Winchelsea on the other side of the river.

Camber parish was formed in 1956 from the merger of the parishes of Broomhill and St Thomas the Apostle, Winchelsea.^[4]

Holiday resort

The area has two holiday parks and several caravan sites adjacent to the beach. There are also seasonal shops and entertainments.

Landmarks

Part of the Site of Special Scientific Interest known as Dungeness, Romney Marsh and Rye Bay is within the parish. This is a site of national biological and geological importance with various habitats such as shingle, saltmarsh, sand dunes and saline lagoons.^[5]

Events

Each year in November, the Rhythm Riot Festival^[6] is held at Pontin's in Camber.

References

External links

Media related to Camber, East Sussex at Wikimedia Commons