Fishing had provided food and an income for many of the early families, but it soon became a popular leisure activity.

During the period up to World War II, there was very little development in Rye, but as roads were built day trippers and holiday makers came further south to enjoy the natural beauty of the area.

Families with children enjoyed the freedom of swimming in the bay and playing on the sandy beaches, collecting shells and building sand castles. The tourism industry, which had such humble beginnings as far back as the 1880s, had become the mainstay of Rye by the 1960s.