For my
birthday, we decided to go on an adventure. Adam had done some research (aren’t
we a fine pair!) and discovered a little village called Rye that was supposed
to be worth a visit.
We jumped
in our car and zoomed off to the M25 and then …. hit a traffic jam. It was a
beautiful sunny day and trapped in our hot car we soon started to feel like
rotisserie chickens.
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The air-con in our car has packed up... |
The drive
to Rye took just under two hours and when we finally located a lovely shady picnic
area we were relieved to be able to unpeel ourselves from the car and sit down on
the grass for a picnic lunch. When we felt sufficiently refreshed, we followed
a picturesque walk beside a stream and across a railway track into the centre
of Rye.
We
immediately felt at home when we came across this group of bikers enjoying
their fish ‘n’ chips and icecreams in the sunshine. It reminded us of our
favourite café in Nelson - Zumo Coffee House - where the local bikies congregate
for their Sunday morning latte.
As we
walked around, we discovered the history of this beautiful town.
Before the
Norman Conquest, Rye was a small fishing community located on the edge of the
sea, but it quickly grew in importance as a trading port. (Over time, the sea
has retreated, and the flat land around Rye is now covered with grass and grazing
sheep. It still has a fishing fleet, however, as it is located at the
junction of three rivers.)
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A door suitable for a midget! |
Rye was
given to the Benedictine Abbey of Fécamp in Normandy as part of the Saxon Manor
of Rameslie. It remained in Norman hands until 1247. By the 13th century,
Kings Henry III and Edward I had consolidated the defence of the realm with the
Charter of the Cinque Ports, under which towns along the coast of Kent and
Sussex were to provide safe harbour, a quota of ships, and men to sail them. In
return for their support, the ports - including Rye and Winchelsea, defined as
'Antient Towns' - were granted common rights and privileges, with freedom from
taxes and custom duties, trading concessions, and rights to hold judicial
courts. As a result the Cinque Ports became one of the richest and most
important maritime economies in Europe, laying the foundations for Britain's
maritime power.
During this period, Rye was fortified and four gates and a
town wall were completed around 1380. The French attacked on a regular basis,
testing the defences and raiding the port. Even the Spanish tried their luck in
1350, but Edward III and his son, the Black Prince, routed a fleet of 40
Spanish vessels in Rye Bay.
With the coming of bigger
ships and larger deep-water ports, Rye's economy began to decline, and fishing
and particularly smuggling (including owling, the smuggling of wool) became
more important. Imposition of taxes on goods had encouraged smuggling since
1301, but by the end of the 17th century it became widespread throughout the
counties of Kent and Sussex, with wool being the largest commodity. When luxury
goods were also added, smuggling became a criminal pursuit. Smugglers'
hoards were stored in the town’s old vaulted cellars, and tunnels and
passageways were used for transferring goods.
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The Mermaid Inn |
The Mermaid Inn, dated to around
1156, was a popular haunt for smugglers, and it is connected by secret
passageway to The Old Bell Inn. The inn
had a strong connection with the notorious Hawkhurst Gang who controlled
territory from Kent to Dorset during the 1730s and 1740s. The violent Gang carried
out at least two murders, and some members were sentenced to death by hanging.
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Landgate |
Rye is now a town of around 4,200 inhabitants and relies on
tourism to keep its economy going.
One of the oldest buildings in Rye is Ypres Tower, which was built in
1249 as "Baddings Tower", to defend the town from the French, and was
later named after its owner John de Ypres. The "Landgate" (the only
surviving one of four original fortified entrances to Rye) dates from 1329 in
the early years of the reign of King Edward III. It is still the only vehicular
route into the medieval centre of Rye.
After exploring
the town for a bit, we stopped for coffee and cake, and then summoned all our
energy to climb up this hill towards the Mermaid Inn.
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Some climb! |
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Not doing any smuggling at the Mermaid Inn |
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This pretty window caught my attention |
Before
returning home, we decided it would be lovely to drive to the coast and see the
seaside. It was such a beautiful day that many locals were out enjoying the sun
and - for the hardy ones – the surf. We sat and soaked up some rays for a bit,
and then we headed home for a tasty birthday dinner.
So as you
can see, Rye is a beautiful town with an interesting history. I’d have liked to
check out those smuggler’s tunnels, but we didn’t know about them at the time
of the visit – so I guess we’ll have to go back sometime and take one of the
tours that apparently allows you to view some of these ancient routes.
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Me looking excited about the thought of a smuggling adventure.
"Quick! Anne, Dick, George, and Ju - get the bicycles, ginger beer and some canned tongue,
oh and where's that infernal dog?"
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*Or, Rye Rye Rye My Delilah; The Birthday in the Rye; Ryeme and reason; feel free to comment and add your own poor puns...
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