This family-owned business can be traced back to the 1700s, when it first wowed locals with homewares and decorative accessories handmade with a technique reminiscent of Delftware – albeit in a more colourful palette. Crafted by a crack team of sculptors and ceramicists, its mid-century-modern collections are so sought after that some of its pieces appear in London’s V&A and the Geffrye Museum. We particularly enjoy browsing the “seconds” and one-off studio pieces here.

The collection of warehouses overlooking the River Brede from Strand Quay are hunting ground for vintage homeware aficionados. Pick up retro kitchen accessories from Crock and Cosy – we’ve got our eye on some vintage weighing scales – or upcycled flea-market finds from Halcyon Days. The Confit Pot stocks Provencal garden furniture and the UK’s largest collection of (you guessed it) confit pots.

Former East Londoners Gareth McCully and Marcus Crane have injected a touch of eclecticism into Rye’s olde worlde, coastal aesthetic. Religious artefacts, industrial lighting, salvaged signage, local artwork and taxidermied birds backdropped by whitewashed brick walls give this place a rough-around-the-edges gallery atmosphere.

This novella-sized independent bookshop, piled high with vintage and antique tomes, is as idiosyncratic as it is small. Owner Antonio runs a loyalty scheme that involves the exchange of old pennies, and the poetry section is especially bountiful. Avid reader? Visit Rye Old Books on Lion Street, from where you can join a walk to the former home of Radclyffe Hall, author of lesbian classic The Well of Loneliness.

At the bottom of Mermaid Street, this fittingly washed-out store is a testament to owners Atlanta Bartlett and Dave Coote’s eye for functional yet fanciful homewares and lifestyle accessories – indeed, these are the guys responsible for Ammonite cottage. The shop’s edit is utilitarian yet feminine – and don’t for a second think you’ll find anything mass-produced. Like this? Visit Hunter Jones where vintage homewares share shelves with brands including Studio Arhoj and Earl of East London, plus the shop’s own range of natural skincare.