Rye

Map of Cinque Ports when Rye was a seaside town

Mermaid Street

Ypres Tower

Rye is known as the most beautiful British town, and it certainly did not disappoint me: cobbled streets, medieval buildings with interesting names (the House with Two Doors, the House Opposite…etc), and plenty of trendy shops. Rye means island in West Saxon dialect. It was a port as early as the Roman time. Rye was one of the two “Antient Towns” under “Cinque Ports”, the other is Winchelsea. It was administrated by a French Lord for nearly half a century (1205-1247). Today the town is surrounded by three rivers two miles from the sea. Hard to imagine, between 14^th and 16^th centuries Rye was the largest natural harbour in the south of England. 400 ships could moor in the harbour.  With the river changing course and silt building up, where the sea used to be now is the Harbour Nature Reserve. You can extend your walk to see the English Channel and the Chamber Castle, following this link.

Micopub photo from google map

With the craft beer and micropub movement, this is not a place to miss. It has been listed in the Good Beer Guide for several years. Not just serving 8 local ales, it also serves 12 local ciders and some other local drinks. The building was originally used as the Town Pump House, Grade II listed, only converted to a pub in 2018. As the space is limited, they have an interesting seating rule: If there’s a spare seat, sit on it and say hello to the strangers, you might make some new friends. 

The Landgate

The only surviving fortified entrance to Rye. It was built in 1329 using the grants from Edward III, as Rye was such an important trading port. There were four fortified gates built at the four corners of the town. It was still not enough to defend the town against the worst French invasion in 1377 which burnt down most of Rye.

The Museum with free entry

The view from gun garden

The Rye Castle Museum is worth a visit. We arrived too late to enter. The museum on East Street is free. It opens from 10:30 to 4:30 during April and October. The last admission is at 4pm. The Ypres Tower is open all year round, apart from 24^th and 25^th December. Last admission 4.30pm in the summer, 3pm in the winter.  It’s £5.00 for adults, children under 16 are free and must be accompanied by an adult. If you don’t have high expectations, you won’t be disappointed. It’s the usual local museum stuff. Know a bit more about local life in history. If you skip climbing the tower, the Gun Garden behind is a must. From there, you can see the River Rother flowing towards the sea. The flat landscape in front of you was the harbour.   

Feel like a garden

I went there in June. Lavender and roses were in full bloom. It felt like a secret garden.

Mermaid Street

Mermaid Inn

Mermaid Street is the must visit on your Rye trip.  Despite Watchbell Lane and The Mint being full of well-preserved historical buildings, Mermaid Lane is the pearl among the treasures.  Slowly walking up the street, you will notice those “well-named” houses: ‘the House with Two Doors’, ‘the House Opposite’. It feels like there’s a story behind each closed door and the whole street is a romantic thriller, and the stories behind Mermaid Inn are the climax. With 600 years of history, a cellar dating back to 1156, guests staying in the Inn have repeatedly reported ghost encounters. On the last Sunday of each month, the owner Judith Blincow will be offering Guided Tours through the old Building, you can pre-book it. 

The Standard Inn

Ribs from The Standard Inn

We had our dinner at the Standard Inn on the Mint. It was a nice surprise; I feel I must mention it. Though it does have Harden 2024 (which is a food guide badge) on its window, I walked in simply because the décor looked good. I was hungry, and they have a vegan option. It did deliver though. Most restaurants’ vegan option is just a compromise for people’s diet choices, hardly delivering to their meat companion’s cooking standard. But this one is different. I had aubergine with harissa, and it was good. My husband had ribs with chips. The chips were cooked with rosemary, strongly recommended. Service was good as well.