Rye Bay covers an area of 91 square kilometres in eastern East Sussex. It follows the valleys of the Rother, Tillingham and Brede rivers from the Cinque Port towns of Rye and Winchelsea. To the the west of the bay is the historic coastal town of Hastings and Fairlight cliffs, to the east is Romney Marsh and Dungeness. The beach along this stretch of the coast is mainly shingle (apart from Camber sands) and characterised by the rows of timber groynes that hold back the pebbles. Pounded by the waves and the action of the shingle these splintered, faded and rust stained groynes almost develop into individual sculptures.