Rye Castle Museum

Catch up here on Events,  the Museum Website,  Book News,  Opening Hours,  The Women’s Tower Project and Volunteer Opportunities…..

If you had to miss Jo Kirkham’s amazing sweep through  2000 years of Rye history–The Story of Rye Royale in about 58 minutes ( Tuesday (March 9 or the Open evening for volunteers, stewards and any others interested-we’re sorry, but do make sure you have the  events below in your diary.

As for the Open evening (16th March), we were delighted that so many came, including newcomers who have decided to join us!     

One of our concerns was to find enough people to serve as stewards when we resume full opening hours April 1.   To meet popular demand,and because many visitors want to enter at lunch time, the Tower will from that date be open 7 days a week and will not close for a lunch break.  That means another 7 people each week to take shifts of 1 1/2 hours while the regular guides have a break. 

At East Street there are seven shifts a week to cover,   and some volunteers prefer to serve as one of a pair.  (Hours are 2-5  Monday, Thursday and Friday,  and 10:30 – 1, also 2-5 Saturday and Sunday.) If each person does just one shift a month,  that means we would need 54 volunteers to cover 28 two person shifts on this site!   Fortunately, some volunteers are happy to serve solo, but you can see why we are always happy to add to our volunteer stewards list.    

Far from being onerous,  stewarding  offers a chance to meet  interesting visitors and become better acquainted yourself with our exhibits and Rye’s history,  so if you would be willing to help out, please contact the office  info@ryemuseum.co.uk or ring 01797-226728.

You may also want to ask about other ways to help, for example by joining the Rye Muses who organise events which help raise funds, or the Education Committee, orn the Gardening group,  or a cleaning squad to prepare both sites for the April  1 opening, or……..  The full list of possibilities is quite long!

Museum Events  

Saturday 27 March at 7.30 pm at the Rye Methodist Church
Ryesingers Ladies present “Sigh No More Ladies!”, a  Concert in aid of the Women’s Tower rescue and renovation plans

Tickets £7. Includes a glass of wine in the Ypres Tower after the concert.   Tickets may be bought at  the door.     

 You will not  only have an enjoyable evening.  You will also be helping toward the daunting target of £80,000 which the Women’s Tower project will cost.    Please help us save  this vital part of Rye’s skyline which will also be a very much needed addition to our exhibition space.

1st April: Beginning of the new season at Rye Museum

Due to popular demand, this season the Ypres Tower will be open 7 days a week (not 5) and from 10.30 to 5.00 (no closure at lunchtime).  Last entry 4.30 .    East Street Museum hours will continue as before, but if enough of you volunteer for stewarding (usually just once a month) we may be able to extend there too.   Details above.

For the rest of March,  Winter hours continue. 

Women’s Tower Project

There are still bricks and stones waiting to be sponsored!   Do you have a sponsor’s certificate yet?   You may collect as many as you like!     Rye Town Council at its meeting of 26th October voted to contribute £5000 to the Women’s Tower Project and the process has already begun:  English Heritage has approved plans, we have paid for architects’ plans with the RTC grant,  proper recording, preservation and storage of items kept in the Women’s Tower is  nearly completed…..  We are most fortunate to have the  services of Linden Thomas,  a  professionally qualified and experienced  conservator,  recently retired to  Rye, to carry out the important work of looking after the items we will want to display and ensuring they are properly documented and cared for.

If you too would like to be part of this project and have not received a leaflet providing details and a form, do visit either of the Rye Castle Museum sites or contact the Museum  ( 01797-226728 or info@ryemuseum.co) You would have the satisfaction of knowing you had helped to save a special building of our town so it can not only be used by Ryers but also provide yet another attraction for visitors. 

Rye Museum Website   

There are now 85 articles and some improvements to design and navigation.  More to come, of course so be sure to visit– and revisit.   Click on any of the Local History headings and you will be taken to a page headed by a list of subtopics already available.    The newest will always be on top.   Sample the lot, or click on one that interests you.     If you have talents or information on some aspect of Rye’s history you would be willing to share, please let us know!  jlfloydeltc@gmail.com

 Book News

Do you have your copy of  Rye in World War II?  This was the subject of  Jo Kirkham’s Address at the 2009 Remembrance Day Service at St Mary’s Church, Rye.   Following requests from a number of people for a printed version of the address,  an illustrated booklet  is now available at £3.50. 

Copies may  be purchased at the Rye Heritage Cente  or  at either of the Museum sites.   All proceeds will go to the Women’ s  Tower Project so that this part of Ypres Tower, home of the Rye Museum, can be restored and re-roofed  and brought into active use.  See below for more details on this importat project

New looks at Rye

 A lovely little book for all Ryers:  John Griffiths’  Shapes, Colours and Materials: a look at buildings in Rye, Rye Conservation Society. £6.99.   Buying through the Museum helps the Museum!  

Do you have these yet?

These both deal with Rye before 1660–the result of years of research, deliberately complementary,  must-haves for anyone seriously interested in Rye’s history.  Both available from Martello Bookshop–or ask at the Rye Library

Gillian Draper, Rye: A  History of a Sussex Cinque Port to 1660, Chichester: Phillimore, 2009

David and Barbara Martin, Rye Rebuilt: Regeneration and Decline Within a Sussex Port Town, 1350-1660. Romney Marsh Research Trust, 2009