RYE

 Rye is such a beautiful town. In the centre, cobbled lanes like Mermaid Street are lined with medieval, half-timbered houses. The redbrick Lamb House was once owned by writer Henry James. Nearby, the tower of the Norman St. Mary’s Church overlooks the town. The 14th-century Ypres Tower, which formed part of Rye’s defences, is now Rye Castle Museum, with paintings and displays on local history.

This hill-perched ancient town was originally located on a huge embayment of the English Channel. Although now about 2 miles from the sea, it was once one of the most important ports on the south coast, and traces of its' former seafaring history are still very evident. 

Below the steep streets of the citadel, the main road follows the Strand Quay - which visitors often refer to as 'Rye Harbour'. The Strand Quay is actually the banks of the River Tillingham, which flows into the River Rother, and thence into Rye Harbour, some 2 miles away!

Almost every building is historic and has something to say about this small town, perched on the top of a steep hill. Indeed, the tower of St. Mary's church is the highest point of the town, and can be seen for miles It's one of those places which, wherever you need to go, always seems to involve going up a hill. The pinnacle of the town is St. Mary's church, so we'll start there--------

Unfortunately, when I was there today, they were preparing the church for a concert as part of the annual Rye Jazz Festival, so it was very difficult to move around and look at things, without tripping over a grand piano or a lighting rig! Still, I can always go back later in the year

You may have noticed the beautiful clock high up on the tower. Well, the pendulum actually swings to and fro in the Nave of the church. It is said to be the oldest working clock in the country, dating back to 1561, and was made by the Huguenot, Lewys Billiard. The present exterior clock face and the original 'Quarter Boys' were added in 1760.

Rye was attacked many times by the French, which is why it became heavily fortified. In 1377 the French burnt most of the town to the ground, and stole the church bells. A year later, the men of Rye and Winchelsea returned the compliment, setting fire to two French towns and bringing the bells back. One of the returned bells was hung in Watchbell Street to give warning of any future invasions, and not returned to the church until the 16th. century.

The original 'quarter boys' from the clock

The old Grammar School, built in 1638. During the 1950s it was used as Rye Working Men's Conservative Club. Now converted to two apartments the ground floor is currently Grammar School Records, a long standing business established in Rye in 1991 and one of the leading independent record shops in the U.K.

Looks like this door is an original one too

The town hall reflects the wealth that came with Rye being one of the Cinque Ports, and a busy harbour town. Designed by Andrews Jelfe and built in 1742, the present Rye Town Hall is the third known to have existed on the Market Street site (the first of which was burned to the ground by the French in 1377).

The Rye arms reflect the fact that it was a Cinque Port

Certainly, the most famous street in Rye has to be Mermaid Street, with the eponymous Mermaid Inn at the top. It's very steep, and heavily cobbled, but well worth a visit for all the interesting buildings that line it.

Traders Passage is a steep path that takes you from Watchbell Street, to almost the bottom of Mermaid Street, with Oak Corner where the two meet.

Oak Corner, encompassed by an abundance of history, is Grade II listed and one of the oldest buildings in Rye, dating back 600 years. Originally two cottages, the property boasts two addresses - one on Mermaid Street and the other Traders Passage. 

Jeake's House..................Samuel Jeake was a well-known Rye lawyer, born in 1623. He had a great interest in astrology and science. His son, also Samuel, laid the foundations of this house in 1689. He kept a diary, which still exists today.

His son, the third Samuel. invented a flying machine, although he never got it to fly successfully, and nearly lost his life doing so. He moved to Jamaica and became a lawyer there.

Hartshorn House, once a hospital. It was the residence of the second Samuel Jeake before he built his new house opposite, being part of the dowry brought by his wife Elizabeth on their marriage in 1670. In the early 19th. century, it became a hospital for Napoleonic War victims.

The House With Two Front Doors is a 15th. century house.

The famous Mermaid Inn, known to have been the haunt of smugglers. The Cellars date from 1156 and the building was rebuilt in 1420 after The Mermaid and the Town of Rye were burnt to the ground by French Raiders on June 22nd 1377.

Adorning the wall of the courtyard, is a wooden board with a verse from Rudyard Kipling's 'A Smuggler's Song'. We used to sing a setting of it at school, and I still remember it well. If you don't know it, Here's the original poem:

If you wake at midnight, and hear a horse's feet,
Don't go drawing back the blind, or looking in the street;
Them that ask no questions isn't told a lie.
Watch the wall, my darling, while the Gentlemen go by!

Five and twenty ponies,
Trotting through the dark —
Brandy for the Parson,
Baccy for the Clerk;
Laces for a lady, letters for a spy,
And watch the wall, my darling,
While the Gentlemen go by!

Running round the woodlump if you chance to find
Little barrels, roped and tarred, all full of brandy-wine,
Don't you shout to come and look, nor use 'em for your play.
Put the brishwood back again — and they'll be gone next day!

If you see the stable-door setting open wide;
If you see a tired horse lying down inside;
If your mother mends a coat cut about and tore;
If the lining's wet and warm — don't you ask no more!

If you meet King George's men, dressed in blue and red,
You be careful what you say, and mindful what is said.
If they call you "pretty maid," and chuck you 'neath the chin,
Don't you tell where no one is, nor yet where no one's been!

Knocks and footsteps round the house — whistles after dark —
You've no call for running out till the house-dogs bark.
Trusty's here, and Pincher's here, and see how dumb they lie —
They don't fret to follow when the Gentlemen go by!

If you do as you've been told, 'likely there's a chance,
You'll be given a dainty doll, all the way from France,
With a cap of Valenciennes, and a velvet hood —
A present from the Gentlemen, along o' being good!

Five and twenty ponies,
Trotting through the dark —
Brandy for the Parson,
'Baccy for the Clerk;
Them that asks no questions isn't told a lie —
Watch the wall, my darling,
While the Gentlemen go by!

Now, if you lived in the house opposite the Mermaid Inn, what would you call it? Yep.....

'Wipers Tower', or to give it its proper name 'The Ypres Tower'. Now the town museum. It was built in 1249 as the 'Baddings tower', next to the Baddings Gate (now long gone). The name was changed later by John de Ypres, who owned it then

Old pillory and part of the portcullis

On the seaward side of the Ypres Tower, is the Gun Garden. There are 5 differing cannons here, on what was part of the town wall.

To the side of the tower, steps lead down to the old pub called The Ypres Castle, which apparently serves various craft beers

The house of John Fletcher, a 16th. century playwright, who collaborated with Beaumont, Massinger and Shakespeare. Before he lived there, the house was a vicarage. He died in the London plague of 1625 that killed some 40,000 others

His father, Richard Fletcher, was minister of the parish in which John was born and became afterward queen’s chaplain, dean of Peterborough, and bishop successively of Bristol, Worcester, and London, gaining a measure of fame as an accuser in the trial of Mary, Queen of Scots, and as the chaplain sternly officiating at her execution.

The town pump which was built in 1735. There is  board next to it, which details all the correspondence that led to it coming into being

The monument includes a brick cistern or water tower, built between 1733 and 1735. It is situated in the north-east corner of the churchyard of St Mary’s Church on the south-east side of Rye. The red brick cistern is built in two oval shaped sections with a brick vaulted base surmounted by an oval turret. A central hole in the vaulted roof allows access from the turret above. The turret has two rectangular openings on the east and west sides, which contain wooden shutters with oval openings in the centre. It has a tiled roof with a lead ridge and a pointed wooden pinnacle. On the east side of the cistern is a glass-fronted measure encased in timber, and at the north-east corner a lead pipe runs down to the adjacent hand pump. The timber cased hand pump has a cast handle and lead framed spout and is inscribed ‘RC 1826’. The cistern is set within a walled enclosure with a brick pathway approaching it.

The cistern formed an important part of the water supply system of Rye in the 18th century. Water was piped into the town from the north-east to a water house on Cinque Port Street. From here it was pumped, by means of a horse gin dating from 1718, in an elm pipe up Conduit Hill to the cistern. The cistern was sited at the highest point in the town and could hold about 20,000 gallons, which were distributed through wooden pipes to properties in the upper parts of Rye. 

The former Sussex County Police Station. In 1891, the strength of the town police force was one sergeant  and three constables. This station closed in 1966 when a larger police station was opened in Cinque Ports Street.

Church Square, which really is a square surrounding the church, is again, full of old buildings worthy of attention.

The Store House, which was restored in 1898

No. 46 (the Store House) has a 13th. century undercroft

The Roman Catholic church of St. Anthony of Padua. It was constructed between 1927 and 1929 and replaced a church built in 1900.  It is served by the Conventual Franciscans and is a Grade II listed building.

Next door is the entrance to the Franciscan Priory, the first one in Rye

Now, Lamb House.  

Lamb House is named for James Lamb, who was mayor of Rye in 1742

Now here's a thing:

As the Mayor of the ancient Cinque Port he was also responsible for law and order in the town and acted as the Chief Magistrate.  A particular problem for him was a local butcher, John Breads, who could regularly be found drinking at the Flushing Inn.  On one occasion the Mayor convicted Breads of using false weights to sell his meat. Breads was not happy and swore his revenge witnessed by several of his drinking pals.  He was known to be violent and had already appeared in court charged with stabbing a man in the arm.

On 17th March 1743, the Mayor’s son John, was due to leave Rye on his first voyage to France. A party had been arranged on board his ship which was berthed near the Fish Market in Rye Harbour.  The Mayor who was a widower was not feeling too well that evening and, when his former wife’s brother, Allen Grebell called in on him, he asked him to go to the party in his place.  Grebell, who had also served as the Rye Mayor, agreed.  As it was a cold night, Lamb lent his brother-in-law his coat.

Grebell attended his nephew’s party and no doubt had a merry old time, happily full of smuggled spirits and wine. He left the ship between 2am and 3am and returned home via the churchyard of St Mary the Virgin Church in the centre of the town.  He did not realise that Breads was waiting for him.  There was a violent and no doubt frenzied attack and Grebell was stabbed a number of times including two fatal penetrations into his lungs.  Breads threw his knife into some bushes before making his escape; this was a foolish thing to do – his name was carved into the handle.

The injured Grebell managed to stagger home.  He told his servant that he had been attacked in the churchyard and fell into a chair.  It was the middle of the night and the servant, believing his master to be drunk left him and went to bed.

Meanwhile a short distance away, the Mayor, James Lamb was having a sleepless night.  In a dream his dead wife, Martha warned him no less than three times, that her brother was in trouble.  James got up and walked the short distance to Grebell’s house and roused the servant.  The two men found the body of Allen Grebell slumped in his chair in a pool of blood.  Several surgeons were called but there was nothing they could do.

An Inquest was held later in the day and the jury returned a verdict of Wilful Murder.  Initially the poor servant was suspected but soon the investigation had turned to the true culprit  – John Breads who, believing he had killed the Mayor had drunkenly boasted that ‘Butchers kill Lambs’.   He was arrested and held in the town gaol – now the Ypres Tower Museum where the ring he was chained to can still be seen.

It is remarkable that when he appeared at court the judge was his intended victim, James Lamb who could hardly be said to be impartial!   Luckily there was not to be an unfair trial; at one point Breads shouted “I did not mean to kill Grebell – it was you I meant it for and I would murder you now if I could!”.

The sentence was a forgone conclusion. On 8th June 1743, the executioner collected Breads from his cell and took him to his place of execution the marsh just across the river from Rye Windmill.  They stopped briefly at the murderer’s favourite pub, the Flushing Inn so the condemned man could have one last drink.    The cost of the execution was £11 and 11pence which included the cost of the beer not only for the prisoner but for the executioner and his assistant!   

The next day the body of the murderer was removed and placed in the town gibbet – a metal cage – to be displayed as a warning for years to come.   It was to be the last body to be held in the Rye gibbet.  After 16 years, the body and skeleton slowly disappeared and the gibbet was removed to the church. It is said that local women would steal small pieces of bone to grind up to use in cures for rheumatism. Only the skull remained, stubbornly stuck into the top of the gibbet.

On a wall of another building opposite, are these two plaques. No idea what they are. 

Henry James, the author of several books, including The Turn Of The Screw, lived here from 1898 to 1916. He did most of his writing in a little building in the garden next to the house, which was sadly bombed in 1940

He is said to have struck up an acquaintance with a little old lady who appeared from time to time in his home.

You see the Sun fire markers on lots of buildings, but Lamb house has that one and this, which is the London Assurance fire mark.

The old Doctor's surgery (no, not the surgery staffed by old doctors - you know what I mean!)

The Old Bell - reputed to be the oldest pub in Rye. Like the Mermaid Inn, it was much used by the smugglers, and there is thought to be a secret passageway between the two

This sign is a little hard to read, but this is Farthing House, and it incorporates this narrow alley called Needles Passage, which links The Mint with Cinque Ports Street. It looks just like part of the house, and I bet a lot of people miss it

A few more random markers, yet to be investigated

The premises at 101 High Street, now the Age UK shop, was occupied by the Gill family of clockmakers from 1680. At the end of the 18th century the government introduced a tax on clocks making them more expensive. As a response many public clocks were erected on private and public buildings.

As you might expect from clocks designed to be publicly displayed, they were often large and solidly built. The Gill family had one of their clocks mounted on the front of their premises in the High Street advertising their business.

A century later the family had become bankers and by about 1820 had moved or died out. The premises then became a beer house and later a public house known as The Dial or Dial House. The name obviously indicated the clock on the front of the building. It was not at first the official name but came into use by public reference to the building. Thus the face of Gill’s public clock became, by a twist of fate, the most unusual pub sign in the town.

The clock has long gone but the (stone) face still reminds us of its earlier years

This is Conduit Hill, another pretty cobbled street

Radclyffe Hall, who wrote the novel 'The Well Of Loneliness' lived here. First published in 1928 by Jonathan Cape. It follows the life of Stephen Gordon, an Englishwoman from an upper-class family whose "sexual inversion" (homosexuality) is apparent from an early age. She finds love with Mary Llewellyn, whom she meets while serving as an ambulance driver in World War I, but their happiness together is marred by social isolation and rejection, which Hall depicts as typically suffered by "inverts", with predictably debilitating effects. The novel portrays "inversion" as a natural, God-given state and makes an explicit plea: "Give us also the right to our existence".

I haven't read it yet, but I feel that, in these more enlightened days, it deserves to be better known. I'll let you know, when I can get my hands on a copy

Having very little space in which to build, has resulted in some very oddly shaped buildings. This one caught my eye. Now called the Tower House, presumably because of its' nearness to the Landgate, it was originally 'The Old Dormy'. Nope, not a clue

Almost next to the Landgate it the building that was once the Tower Forge

The Landgate is the only remaining gateway of the four that originally gave access to the heavily fortified town. It dates from 1329 and the reign of Edward III

Now here's a thing most people miss - a very age-worn gateway that incorporates a plank from a door in the local prison!

Paul Nash is an artist whose works I really like, from his stark war paintings to his gently surrealistic landscapes. 

A reminder that Rye was much used by the notorious Hawkhurst Gang of smugglers

Rye seems to have had its' fair share of authors

The view from the top of the town across the River Brede, as the tide flows in 

The Lookout is a little garden with seats, on top of the walls, with outstanding views across the flatlands below the town

The Fair is in town, a welcome splash of bright colour

Looking across the marshes to the row of marching pylons in the distance

A useful pointer to where everything is in relation to Rye

the River Rother at low(ish) tide

At the end of Watchbell Street, is the Watch Bell!

Unusual decor outside the Hope and Anchor Hotel