Rye Farm

Rye Farm, Henfield

The 14th‑century Rye Farm stands close to the brooks, the low‑lying fields beside the River Adur. For many years, winter floods caused the river to overflow, regularly inundating the ground floor. A dyke was eventually built to protect the farmhouse, but even then, when the surrounding land flooded, the property often became cut off.

True to its name, ‘rye’ meaning ‘at or on an island’, residents had to row to the village during the winter months. This continued until the construction of the current causeway access road.