Rye and Winchelsea's unhurried appearance and ancient buildings disguise a history that ranges from Danish and French invaders to the notorious Hawkhurst gang of smugglers. E. F. Benson, creator of Mapp and Lucia, was mayor in places with residents as notable as Ellen Terry and Spike Milligan. And who was the painter who was also a Tory MP and the poet who was an expert on golf? Radclyffe Hall lived in Rye with her lover Lady Una Troubridge and came...