by Janis / 2 comments - Orginally published:25th January 2017

A Pocket Full of Rye

If you have never been to Rye, you are missing a historical treat.

Rye is a charming town in the South East of the UK and still has its ancient past flowing through its cobbled streets.

You will feel like you have stepped back in time because this quaint little town looks as it would have a hundred years ago.

Rye is a beautiful little town to stroll through and enjoy the sense of a bygone era.

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Where is Rye, East Sussex

How to get to Rye

- By Train
You can catch a from London, depart from London St Pancras International, change at Ashford International and onto Rye (East Sussex). The Journey time is around 1 hour 17 minutes.

- By Car
Rye is served by many car parks around town. but they can get busy at peak times The easiest one we found is the Rope Street car park, a 6-minute walk away. The postcode is TN31 7NA, or what3words ///songbirds.loudly.prude .

A little history on Rye, East Sussex

The ancient Cinque Ports

During the 12th Century, Rye became a Cinque Ports Ancient Town.

Members of the Cinque Ports were responsible for providing ships and men to meet the naval and transportation requirements of the English Crown. In return, the towns and ports were granted certain privileges and status.

Feb / 2022

Discovering the Cinque Ports in Kent and East Sussex

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The relatively modern town sign at the border of the ancient town of rye, complete with the motif of the cinque ports confederation, in east sussex
The ancient town of Rye
A stone tablet from 1866 set in a brick wall displaying rye's cinque port sign identifying this as one of east sussex's most historic towns
The town sign from 1866

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The mysterious side of Rye

The Smuggling

In essence, a blind eye was turned to misbehaviour, and this led to a high level of smuggling through the centuries, which has all added to Rye’s rich history.

Smuggling was practically abolished during the early 1800s, but by that time, the likes of the Hawkhurst Gang had already left their mark.

Late afternoon outside the historic mermaid inn on the cobbled mermaid street on a clear winter's day in rye, east sussex
The Mermaid Inn

They were known to have frequented the Mermaid Inn and Ye Olde Bell Inn, moving their wares along a secret connecting tunnel.

There are tales of the gang sitting around tables with tankards of ale, smoking pipes, and loaded flintlock pistols on the tables ready for action.

Feb / 2017

The Mermaid Inn, Rye, East Sussex

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The garden and entrance to the historic ye olde bell pub in rye, east sussex
A smuggler's favourite, Ye Old Bell

If you're intrigued by Sussex's fascinating past and weird and wonderful history around the county, then take a peek at "The A-Z of Curious Sussex".

You won't be able to put it down, you can pick it up for your Kindle or in good old paperback.

The cover to the book - 'The A-Z of Curious Sussex'

Medieval Rye

Rye Castle

Rye, which dates from the Medieval times, sits on what was once a rocky outcrop. Rye Castle, also known as Ypres Tower, is one of the oldest buildings in Rye, built in 1249.

The castle was originally constructed to defend the town from the French.

The medieval stone castle keep, known as Ypres Tower and Rye Castle under a blue sky
The Ypres Tower

When built, Rye Castle would have overlooked a natural harbour. As time and tide wait for no man, the persistent silting reduced this to saltwater marshland.

The tower now overlooks this marshland and the River Rother, which joins the coast a further 2 miles to the southeast.

A view from high in rye, over what once have been its harbour, but is now just the river rother as it snakes its way through the east sussex countryside
The coast has long since retreated

Rye's historic gates

One of four
In 1329 Edward III required Rye to be fortified further. Four gates were built around the town; only one stands today - ‘Landgate’.
The historic medieval stone Landgate entrance to the pretty town of rye in east sussex
The last standing gate - the Landgate
A look up to the only remaining medieval gate house at the road entrance to rye in east sussex
The Landgate, up close
This gate has a chamber across the top and two towers; it also once had a portcullis and a drawbridge.
The iron plaque attached to the medieval stone landgate entrance to rye, give the history of this feature of one the quaintest town in east sussex.
The Landgate plaque
The iron plaque attached to a stone wall where the strandgate would have once stood in rye, east sussex detailing the town gate's history.
The Strandgate plaque
The street-side view of the medieval landgate rye in east sussex at dusk, once the street lanterns have come one
Outside the landgate

The beautiful town of Rye

Such charm
Wandering through Rye is like stepping back in time; it has that ‘old world charm’ about it.
The old Tudor houses at the end of 'The Mint' that are now shops, restaurants, and a Bed & Breakfast hotel.
View down the mint
east street in rye, filled with pubs, restaurants and even rye castle museum
East Street
The delightful cobbled lanes and streets are lined with lovely timber-framed curiosity shops, welcoming tea rooms and traditional old pubs with open fireplaces.
The former adams stationers shop, based at the base of an 18th-century building on the high street of rye in east sussex
Adams Stationers
A modern pharmacy in a period chemist shop in Rye High Street
H. Horrell Chemist
The curved glass windows of the apothecary coffee house, based in an 18th-century chemists shop on the high street of rye in east sussex
The Apothecary coffee house
A slightly weathered gold gilded clock projecting from the former charter's house on rye high street in east sussex
Chatter's House Clock
A legacy butchers sign for Ashbee & son above and 18th century row of shops in rye, east sussex
Ashbee and Son - No longer a butcher's shop
Some of the shopfronts have still retained their old signs and are kept in character with town.
The top storey and roofline of the 18th-century townhall in rye with the union flag fluttering in the breeze
The Townhall at Rye,
Within the heart of the town is the Old Grammar School, which was built in 1636 and was still used as a school until 1908.
The imposing red brick building that was once rye's grammar school
The Grammar School

Where to stay in Rye

The Mermaid Inn
If you fancy spending the night within a historic inn, with ghosts whispering along the corridors, then the Mermaid Inn is a must. Spooky goings-on and smugglers.
The Hope Anchor
This 18th-century former inn has beautiful individually styled rooms full of character. Relax by the fire and enjoy stunning views across Rye and beyond.

Exploring Rye

The Quarter Boys
Meandering up towards the 900-year-old parish church of St Mary the Virgin, you are greeted with the Quarter Boys clock tower, which strikes on the quarter rather than the hour.
The church tower of St Mary's the Virgin, with its large glass window and clock face in rye, east sussex
The church tower of St Mary's the Virgin
This is a lovely old church with a cute pink vicarage just adjacent to it.
Ancient headstones in the graveyard of saint mary the virgin church in rye, east sussex
Over the graveyard to the church
A tiny headstone at the base of a tree, nestled between the roots, in the graveyard of saint mary the virgin church in rye, east sussex
Hidden headstone
We strolled through the churchyard (as I tend to do), and we noticed a little gravestone poking through the roots of a tree.
The remembrance cross of sacrifice in front of saint mary the virgin church n rye, east sussex
St Mary's the Virgin Church

Map, guides and more

If you want to discover more of the East Sussex landscape around Rye then why not pick up an OS map, we'd recommend the 'Map of Romney Marsh', which covers Rye & Winchelsea Tenterden & New Romney.

Alternatively, why not purchase and download the OS Maps App, which covers all of Great Britain.

A walking tour of Rye

Around Church Square
Historical charm surrounds you in the peaceful Church Square, with Rye castle just a few steps away.
Half-timbered Tudor homes in Church Square in Rye, East Sussex
Church Square
Hucksteps Row, a narrow land between two tudor buildings off church street in rye, east sussex
Hucksteps Row, off Church Square
Here you feel you are in the medieval heart of Rye. Here the surroundings are around 400 years plus old, with the odd exception.
A victorian red letterbox set in the wall surrounding saint mary the virgin church in rye, east sussex
A Victorian letterbox
the historic Watchbell Street in rye, east sussex, bathed in the golden light of dusk
Watchbell Street

Rye Tourist Information

If you'd like to discover more of Rye, and the 1066 country, (that's East Sussex to you and me), then why not pop along to Visit1066Country website for more information?

Rye's literary connection

Lamb House
Branching off down West Street, you are greeted with Lamb House, once the home of Henry James, the American novelist.
A stone plaque on the walled garden of Lamb House in rye, east sussex, to the author Henry James, who wrote his notable work in the house.
The plaque to Henry James

E.F. Benson, the English novelist who wrote Mapp and Lucia also lived at Lamb House (during 1918 to 1940), which is now owned by The National Trust.

The comic novel, set in the roaring 1920s, fits perfectly within the surroundings, and it does not take a considerable amount of imagination for the characters to leap off the pages and inhabit the lanes of Rye.

The exterior of National Trust managed Lamb House, home of the author Henry James, in rye, east sussex
Lamb House
The adaptions of Mapp and Lucia were filmed prominently in Rye, and Lamb House, in the mid-1980s and again in 2014.
The cobble west street leads to the church of saint mary the virgin in rye, east sussex
From Lamb House to the Church
E.F. Benson became the Mayor of Rye in 1934 and dedicated a lookout to the town.
An iron plaque informing you the lookout point in rye, east sussex was donated by E.F Benson when he was mayor of the town
The lookout plaque
A rather old, pay-per-view, telescope at the lookout point in rye, east sussex
The view from the lookout

Discovering the best of Rye

Mermaid Street
You are instinctively led around the corner into Mermaid Street.
An iron lantern above a sign for mermaid street in rye, east sussex
The top of Mermaid Street
A rustic lantern hanging below a twisted wisteria trunk weaving its way over the half-timbered entrance to the medieval mermaid in rye, east sussex
The entrance to the Mermaid Inn

These well-trodden cobbles that lead you past the haunted smugglers' tavern of the Mermaid Inn, could tell many a tale.

The Mermaid Inn was rebuilt in 1420 and has a rich, interesting past dating back to 1156.

Looking from the entrance of rye's historic mermaid inn, past it's hanging lantern to the tudor building on the other side of mermaid street, named 'the house opposite'
The House Opposite
The two black wooden front doors, only one with a letterbox, for the 'House with Two Front Doors' from circa 1520 in mermaid street in rye, east sussex
The House with Two Doors

This charming street winds down to the River Brede, and all the time, you pass so many eye-catching little doors and windows.

With their unusual names, such as ‘The House Opposite’ or ‘The House with the Seat’ and even ‘The House with Two Front Doors’.

Hartshorn House, the half-timbered former hospital on mermaid street in rye, east sussex
Hartshorn House - The Old Hospital
Oak Corner on mermaid street, leading to trader passage a narrow, cobbled lane, in rye, east sussex
Oak Corner, off Mermaid Street
Along Mermaid Street (formerly Middle Street), you can still see the Old Hospital and Quakers House; many of the homes along here were rebuilt during the 15th & 16th Centuries.
Looking up the cobbled mermaid street, lined with historic buildings, from the strand in rye, east sussex
Looking up Mermaid Street

We have a new little book on our shelves that we delve into when we're heading to the coast.

Packed full of historical facts, and broken down into the different counties of England.  It tells tales of the history of the shoreline that surrounds our country.

Available in Kindle & Hardback editions, it's an excellent addition to anyone's collection who loves the English seaside.

I never knew that about Coastal England Cover

Rye's connection with the sea

The Quayside
From the 12th century and many centuries following, Rye was considered an important port on the south coast of England. During the mid-1400s, the harbour could anchor over one hundred ships.
The black former fishermen's warehouses in the strand in rye, east sussex
The black buildings
The severe storms of the late 1700s caused further drainage and silting damage. Navigation along the River Rother, leading to Rye Harbour, was becoming more and more difficult, particularly as local landowners were also reclaiming marshland from the sea.
The black former fishermen's warehouses on the quayside that now house curio and antique shops in rye, east sussex
Black buildings at the quay
Today the quay is approximately 2 miles from the open sea and is only used for smaller boats.
Boats moored up on the River Brede which runs through Rye, East Sussex, on a bright winter's day.
Out to Sea

Along from the quayside on the River Tillingham, you can see the Grade II listed building of Rye Windmill.

There have been many guises of this windmill over the years, but a windmill has stood on the same site since 1594.

A white weatherboarded windmill on a black base in rye, east sussex
The Windmill - Rye
A white weatherboarded windmill on a black base in rye, east sussex
Rye Heritage Centre
Down by the quayside are the Rye Heritage Centre and Information Centre.

We have created a little YouTube video of Rye.  Why not take a look?

You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel and get the latest clips as we post them.

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  1. Reply

    Absolutely beautiful pictures. What a place Rye is! Thank you for sharing this. 🙂

    1. Author
      Reply

      Ahh, thank you very much, yes Rye is a beautiful town and it has so much history. I love hearing all the smuggling tales and strolling around the cobbled lanes, you feel like you have stepped back in time.

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