The Definitive Guide to Rye, East Sussex

Posted by admin on January 6, 2012

Many of Rye's old defenses are still present

With delightful cobbled streets and medieval church, pubs rich in tales of smugglers and ghosts and even a small castle Rye could come straight from the pages of a fairy tale yet this ancient town is very real and only a short distance from London. 

Ancient History

With no evidence of a Roman settlement being found at Rye, its history dates to the post Roman era. This is probably down to the fact that at this time Rye was not on the coast and not a natural harbor – during this period the nearby River Rother flowed into the Channel at New Romney on Romney Marsh - Rye only becoming the port and harbor that made it so successful much later (in the 13th Century) when the Rother changed course. Prior to the shifting of the Rother, Rye was an island perched on a hill-top surrounded by water – its name is an extension of an Anglo-Saxon term meaning island.

Rye’s French Invasion and the 100 Years War

In 1014, a Danish invasion landed and caught the then King, Ethelred the Unready, off-guard. Fleeing, he promised the Manor to the Abbey of Fecamp in Normandy in return for shelter from the Danes and the area fell underFrench protection and ownership.

In 1247, Henry III resumed control of the Manor with Rye once again coming under English crown apart from a small region of the area which, to this day, is still called Rye Foreign. The rational for regaining control was that as a coastal port the French abbot and monks could, and probably did, use their ownership of the town to gain intelligence on English military disposition. To remedy this situation Henry III exchanged ownership of Rye for that of the Manor of Chiltham in Gloucestershire “counties too distant from the English Channel to allow easy communication with the inhabitants of the other side of it”¹.

Rye's castle

Back under English control, the Plantagenet Kings embarked upon a sustained programme of defensive works building walls, four towers (Landgate, Strandgate, Baddings Gate and Postern Gate) and a small castle to protect the town and protect what was now an important port during what became the 100 Years War with France.

Even with the defenses, the French and Spanish attacked Rye on a regular basis and burning the town on several occasions – notably in 1339 when 52 houses were burnt; 1377 when almost every building in the town was set alight and in 1449 when more buildings were burnt although by now the defenses were substantial and only a few buildings are destroyed.

The two most famous incidents took place in 1350 and 1377. The first saw a Spanish force attack with 40 ships, but fought off in Rye Bay by Edward III and his son, the Black Prince. In the second, the French invaded, stole the bells of St Mary’s Church and burnt the town. Forces from Rye and Winchelseatook their revenge a year later in 1378, attacking the French coast, recapturing the bell, which was then hung in Watchbell Street to warn of future attacks.

In the 16th Century, Henry VIII further strengthened Rye, building what is now called Camber Castle.

By the 18th Century, the defenses had become unnecessary. Part of the Landgate being pulled down in 1734, the Postern Gate and Strandgate being pulled down two years later – the stones being given to church wardens to repair a church wall. The wooden doors of the Landgate coming down in 1760. All that remains of these substantial defences today are the YPres Tower in Rye town centre, one of the four gates – the Landgate; a small section of wall in Cinque Port Street and Camber Castle.  Read more about the Romney Marsh at War.

Cinque Ports: Rye

As part of the defenses of the South Coast, Henry II established the charter of the Cinque Ports – whereby towns and key ports along the Kent and Sussex coast provided ships, men and resources to defend the English interests. In return to supplying these, the Crown granted the towns freedom from taxes; the ability to claim spoils from the sea and to hold their own courts. Rye was initially assigned Limb Cinque Port status, in 1189, being an extension of the Head Cinque Port at Hastings – later becoming a full member – as result Rye earned significant wealth, status and power across Europe.

Indeed, the wealth of Rye and nearby towns of Romney and Hythe was well known, with an ancient proverb recording its status (and interesting the the health problems that besiged the Romney Marshes):

Rye, Romney and Hythe, for wealth without Wealth
The Downs for health and poverty; But you shall find both helath and wealth From Foreland Heath to Knole and Lee. 2

The Decline of Rye

As with other ports – notably Romney – on the Romney Marshes, Rye Harbor suffered from silting, long shore drift and changing river flows. Despite desperate efforts, Rye harbor completely silted up in 1720s; and again in 1823. With acts of parliament, grants, tolls, and even occasional battles with nearby towns to keep water ways clear Rye’s harbor survived but with a vastly reduced capacity and now 2 miles from the coast and coupled with increasing larger ships which its harbour couldn’t accommodate its posterity, power and importance slowly faded.

A scale of problem is evident from town records of 1770, which showed the Rye town corporation borrowed £1000 at 4 per cent interest per annum to lend to the commissioners of Rye to complete the building of a new harbor. Another £200 was borrowed the following year4. Considerable sums for the time.

Ironically, the shifting of the Rother which contributed to the decline of the town as a port has once again resulted with Rye becoming an island – sited between the rivers Rother, Tillingham and Brede. Read more about local rivers.

Thanks to Great Britain Historical GIS Project, a snapshot of Rye in 1870 is available:

RYE, a town, a parish, a sub-district, and a district, in Sussex. The town stands on the river Rother, near theoutlet of the Military canal, and on the Ashford and Hastings railway, 2½ miles N of the Rother’s mouth, 3 W of the boundary with Kent, and 9½ N E by E of Hastings; wassurrounded, in the Roman times, by the sea, but was afterwards gradually deserted by it; was given by the Confessorto Fécampabbey, in France; became, at an early period, oneof the Cinque ports; was fortified, in the time of Stephen, by William de Ypres, Earl of Kent; reverted to the Crownin the time of Henry III.; derived great and permanentadvantage from the inundation of 1287, which began tobring the Rother from its old course through the marshesto run this way; sent 9 ships to the siege of Calais in the time of Edward III.; was burnt by the French in 1377and 1447; was visited by Henry VII. in 1487, by Elizabeth in 1573, by Charles II. in 1673, by George I. in 1725, by George II. in 1736; received French refugees, as settlers, after the massacre of St. Bartholomew, and after the revocation of the edict of Nantes; had, as avicar, Bishop Fletcher of Bristol, and as a native, John Fletcher the dramatist; is a borough by prescription, and was first chartered by the Confessor; sent two membersto parliament from the time of Henry III. till 1832, and now sends one; is governed, under the new act, by amayor, 4 aldermen, and 12 councillors; consists municipally of only part of R. parish, but includes parliamentarily the rest of that parish, all East Guild ford, Icklesham, Iden, Peasmarsh, Playden, and Winchelsea, and parts of Udimore and Brede; is a head port, a seat ofpetty sessions and county courts, and a polling-place; publishes two weekly newspapers; has undergone some revival of prosperity, after a long period of decline; occupiesthe slopes and skirts of a steep uneven rock, at the margin of a great expanse of marsh; presents an antiquatedappearance, with narrow, winding, grass-grown streets; and has a head post-office, ‡ a railway station with telegraph, two banking offices, three chief inns, a town halland market house, a jail and police station, a custom-house, a remaining gate of its ancient walls, three bridges, a railway swing bridge, a church, four dis-senting chapels, remains of ancient Carmelite and Augustinian friaries, an endowed grammar school with £100 a year, a national school, alms-houses, and a workhouse.

The town hall and market-place are a neat brick building. The jail and police station are a renovated tower orfortalice of the defences built by W. de Ypres; and thejail has capacity for 10 male and 4 female prisoners. Thechurch is large and cruciform, partly Norman, partly early English; has a Norman central tower; and contains somebrasses and monuments. A corn and cattle market is heldon every alternate Wednesday; and a fair, on 10 Aug. Agreat trade exists in wool, corn, hops, timber, and oak bark; ship-building is carried on; works for making concreteblocks are at the harbour; and kettle-nets, for catchingmackerel and other fish, are on the shore. The harbourhas been much improved by cutting a new channel to the sea, and blocking out the old one; and it receivesvessels of 200 tons. A wooden pier is on the E side of the mouth, and has two fixed lights, 420 feet apart, 36and 26 feet high; and an embankment is on the W side, leaving an entrance 160 feet wide. The vessels belonging to the port, at the beginning of 1864, were 51 small sailing-vessels, of aggregately 1, 166 tons; 51 large sailing-vessels, of aggregately 5, 128 tons; and 1 steam-vessel, of 21 tons. The vessels which entered in 1863, were11 British sailing-vessels, of aggregately 853 tons, fromforeign countries; 26 foreign sailing-vessels, of aggregately 2, 762 tons, from foreign countries; 1 British steam-vessel, of 497 tons, from foreign countries; and 487 sailing-vessels, of aggregately 37, 183 tons, coastwise. The vessels which cleared, in 1863, were 1 British sailing-vessel, of 30 tons, to foreign countries; 9 foreign sailing-vessels, of aggregately 1, 345 tons, to foreign countries; and 45 sailing-vessels, of aggregately 2, 883 tons, coastwise. The amount of customs, in 1862, was £236. Corporation revenue, about £980. Amount of propertyand income tax charged in 1863, £3, 170. Electors in 1833, 422; in 1863, 383. Pop. of the m. borough in 1851, 4,071; in 1861, 3, 738. Houses, 787. Pop. of thep. borough in 1851, 8, 541; in 1861, 8, 202. Houses, 1, 684. The parish comprises 2, 313 acres. Real property, £17,017; of which £130 are in gas-works. Pop. in 1851, 4, 592; in 1861, 4, 288. Houses, 858. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Chichester. Value, £410.* Patron, the Duke of Devonshire. The sub-district contains also the parishes of Iden, Peasmarsh, Playden, East Guild ford, and Broomhill, part of the last electorally in Kent. Acres, 16, 296. Pop., 6, 353. Houses, 1, 300. The district comprehends also the sub-district of Beckley, containing the parishes of Beckley, Northiam, Brede, Udimore, Winchelsea, and Icklesham. Acres of the district, 39, 369. Poor-rates in 1863, £10, 628. Pop.in 1851, 12, 349; in 1861, 11, 927. Houses, 2, 469. Marriages in 1863, 78; births, 385, of which 25 were illegitimate; deaths, 226, of which 74 were at ages under 5years, and 7 at ages above 85. Marriages in the tenyears 1851-60, 940; births, 3, 898; deaths, 2, 413. The places of worship, in 1851, were 11 of the Church of England, with 3, 910 sittings; 2 of Independents, with450 s.; 3 of Baptists, with 575 s.; and 9 of Wesleyans, with 2,064 s. The schools were 16 public day schools, with 1,071 scholars; 42 private day schools, with 578 s.; 20 Sunday schools, with 1, 811 s.; and 1 evening schoolfor adults, with 31 s. The inmates of the workhouse, at the census of 1861, were 157.

Smuggling

With loss of trade from the port, some of the population from Rye and surrounding towns turned to illegal activities. The imposition of taxes on goods coming across the channel had already created a substantial smuggling industry in other Marsh towns and by the end of the 17th century smuggling was firmly established with many gangs – including the infamous Hawkhurst and Aldlington Gangs – working out of Rye5 and the Mermaid Inn in particular. Read more about smuggling in Rye and the local area.

Rye Today

With such a rich history, it’s no surprise that Rye has rich array of ancient buildings, charming streets and preserved buildings to explore. Of particular note are: Lamb House, where several famous writers stayed, including, Henry James; Rumer Godden and E. F Benson⁶. Other famous writers who made Rye their home include Conrad Aiken; John Christopher (author the Sci-Fi story better known as the Tripods); Spike Milligan; Russel Thorndike (author of the Dr Syn novels) and John Ryan, author of children’s classic – Captain Pugwash. Further information on famous residents and literary influences.

Attractions in Rye

Mermaid Street: postcard pretty with its cobbled street, Mermaid Street has many ancient buildings – including the Mermaid Inn which deserves a visit in its own right to savour the history, tradition and charm.

Landgate: Built in 1329, this is the only one of four original gates that guarded entry to the town to protect against French invasion.

Ypres Tower: Although not precisely dated, Ypres Tower is believed to date back to the 13th Century when it was thought to have been built as part of the defences to guard the town and coast from the French. Aside seeing the building itself and the museum it houses, Ypres Tower is also worth a visit for the views it offers out over the Romney Marshes.

Rye Festival: Held every year in July, Rye Festival features a Medieval Weekend with re-enactments, jousting and sword fighting.

St Mary’s Church: Larger than many of the other churches in the area St Mary’s is known locally and affectionately as the Cathedral of East Sussex. Amongst the many defining characteristics of this glorious old church are its clock – one of the oldest functioning church turret clocks in England; the pendulum that swings openly in the church and the ‘Quarter Boys’ (so called because they strike the quarters but not the hours). Dedicated to St Mary the Virgin, St Mary’s has dominated Rye for almost 1000 years and has played a key role in many of the events that have shaped the town. Much of the original 12th century church was destroyed in 1377 when the French invaded, set fire to the church and made off with the bells. The following year a raiding party from Rye and nearby Winchelsea attacked Normandy, setting fire to two towns and recovered the church bells. One of the recovered bells subsequently positioned in Watchbell Street, to give warning of any future attack.

Places to Stay and eat In Rye: restaurants, hotels and bed & breakfasts

The George Hotel – Hotel
98 High Street
Rye
East Sussex
TN31 7JT

T: 01797 222114

Jeakes House – B&B
Mermaid Street
Rye, East Sussex
TN31 7ET

T01797 222828

Rye Nature Reserve Caravan Hire
T: 07849 351 207

Recommended Books On Rye, Sussex

• Romney Marsh, Rye and Winchelsea (Explorer Maps) (OS Explorer Map)
• Henry VIII’s Coastal Artillery Fort at Camber Castle, Rye, East Sussex: An Archaeological, Structural and Historical Investigation
• Rye: A History of a Sussex Cinque Port to 1660
• Rye and Winchelsea in Old Photographs (Britain in Old Photographs
• Captain Pugwash, delightful childrens smuggler story by Rye author with many hidden references to Rye and nearby

References

1: The History and Antiquities of the Ancient Town and Port of Rye, William Holloway.
2: Book: Folklore of Kent, Fram and Geoff Doel, ISBN: 0-7524-2628-1
3: Rye Museum
4: The History and Antiquities of the Ancient Town and Port of Rye in the County of Sussex, William Holloway
5: Mermaid Inn & Hotel
6: Visit Rye