Lobster & Swan on her hometown of Rye

Jeska Hearne, founder of interiors and lifestyle blog Lobster & Swan, shares Rye’s vintage and antique secrets

It’s a grey November day, but Rye sparkles like a little gem nestled between the beaches of Winchelsea and Camber Sands. The perfect place to spend a day or two, it’s one of the most well preserved medieval port towns in England, with its cobbled streets and small fishing fleet hiding many treasures and lots of ghost stories.

On the Strand Quay, we take my favourite loop of Rye’s antique shops, each one has a different feel. Crock and Cosy has a stunning collection of berry bright kitchenalia from the sixties and way earlier. In Halcyon Days you will find more furniture and homeware, plus Annie Sloan paint and upcycling tips.

From here we walk along the bottom of the town past Rye Pottery and Wish Barn Antiques, then along Cinque Ports Street to McCully and Crane, another favourite for statement vintage pieces or mid-century art. A shortcut through Needles passage and we pass super-sweet little shop Cosy Dot Company with its locally made scented candles filling the air and twinkling in foxed mirrors.

Needles Passage leads us back out to The Mint and then onto the main high street, past more favourite haunts including The Standard Inn B&B, a beautifully renovated old pub with a great selection of local ales, a good food menu and cosy rooms named after other local towns.

Sadly, Barnstar, founded by Mark Greenwood and Kitty Hope, no longer have a store on Lion Street. But you can find their magical mix of vintage items online, including pottery, oil paintings, artefacts and furniture. Also, Atlanta Bartlett’s Pale & Interesting homeware store will be reopening at a new location in the town.

We finish the day with a glass of wine, the biggest olives I have ever seen and a pizza in The Globe Inn Marsh, a pub with the cosiest feel, two open fires, and reclaimed decor galore. Lobster pots, recycled wine bottle candelabras, an eclectic mix of furniture plus a deli – so you can take a little piece of the place away with you. And just like Rye itself, wherever we sit, we always feel at home.