The Landgate dominates the northern end of East Cliff and remains a potent symbol of the incredible history of Rye. This ancient monument dates from 1329 and has witnessed everything that has happened in this extraordinary place. There were originally four towers to protect the town but sadly this is the only one remaining.
Rye Windmill, on the banks of the River Tillingham, is a classic smock mill, so named because of the physical resemblance to the clothing once worn by farm workers. Over the years, it has been known as Gibbett Mill, New Mill, Barry’s Mill and Tillingham Mill. A windmill has stood on this site since the 1590s, although this particular mill dates from just 1932, after the previous one burnt down. It is now a popular bed and breakfast location.
When it was built in the 13th century, Ypres Tower was originally known as Baddings Tower. The name change came about after it was owned by John de Iprys in 1430. Its original purpose was very much to do with protection of the town, although centuries later it was used as a prison, a courthouse and a morgue. It is now the town museum. During the reign of Henry VIII an artillery battery, known as the Gun Garden, was built as part of his coastal protection scheme.
The oldest pub in Rye, the Old Bell Inn on The Mint dates back to 1390. It was once connected by tunnel to the Mermaid Inn and was used by the notorious smugglers, the Hawkhurst Gang, in the mid-1700s.
Dating from 1575, The George in Rye has been completely refurbished after a devastating fire in 2019 and is now one of the finest boutique hotels in Sussex. Over the years, it has been visited by three King Georges and one George Clooney.
St Mary’s church has dominated the hill here in Rye for almost 900 years. This present version of the church was started in the early 1100s when most of the surrounding area was owned by the Abbey of Fécamp. The building was extensively damaged in 1377 when the town was ransacked by the French in a devastating raid that destroyed virtually everything in the town. This royal coat of arms in the nave is that of Queen Anne and dated 1704. The motto ‘Semper Eadem’ means ‘Always the same’.
Entering St Mary’s church via the North Transept and take a left turn into the Clare Chapel. Near the front, on the left, you can find the memorial stone for Allen Grebell, who was murdered in a case of mistaken identity in 1742 after “a cruel stab by a sanguinary butcher” called John Breeds, later hanged near Rye Windmill with his body afterwards put in a gibbet at Ypres Tower. The gibbet (now holding a fake skeleton) can still be seen there while his actual remains are under lock and key in the Town Hall. In a unique moment in English legal history, John Breeds’ trial was presided over by the very man he had originally intended to kill; the Mayor and Chief Magistrate, James Lamb.
La Rochelle, on the corner of East Street and Market Street, was once the home of renowned surrealist painter Paul Nash, who lived here from 1929 until 1933. He was one of the official war artists during the First World War, serving on the Western Front.
Close to the entrance of St Mary’s church is Fletchers House, the birthplace of John Fletcher, an English playwright, whose fame equalled that of William Shakespeare during his lifetime. It is now a fabulous-looking eating venue.
Lamb House was once home to Henry James, the famous American-British author born in New York City in 1843. He lived here from 1897 to 1914, two years before his death in Chelsea in London. His book The Turn of the Screw is thought to be the most analysed ghost story in the English language.
Mermaid Street nowadays is a magnet for tourists who wander up and down the cobbled street understandably astonished by what they see. Despite its appearance as an idyllic slice of Olde England this street was once run-down and disreputable. Even well into the 20th century, the top of Mermaid Street seems to have been a relatively rough part of town. There are reports from the 1950s that talk about the rats who shared this space with the residents.
The Mermaid Inn can trace its history back to the 13th century. There is signage on the front of the building declaring it to have been ‘Rebuilt in 1420’. In the 1700s it was a favoured retreat for the notorious Hawkhurst Gang of smugglers, with a secret tunnel leading to The Old Bell just down the road and round the corner, but it hasn’t always been an inn or an hotel. In the 1800s is was used as lodgings but reverted back to its status as a hostelry at the start of the 20th century.
Rye’s signal box was opened in 1894. It was relatively recently restored to its 1925 Southern Railway colours of mustard yellow and green and looks splendid.
Local resident Roy Abel says: “There’s a real sense of belonging. We were looking for somewhere on the south coast to live. We looked at Hastings and St Leonards and then we came to Rye and it blew our minds. When we first arrived, people would stop us in the street to chat and we would tell them we’d just moved in and they’d say: “Welcome to Rye.” Everyone is so friendly and invite you round into their garden for a drink, plus there are more formal events – things the mayor organises. It’s easy to get everywhere from here too. We like the train and go to Eastbourne to the Towner and into Bexhill and Pevensey.’
Source link
[Featured]
[Just In]
