Rye Castle Museum

Temperance as a mass movement originated in the early 19th century. In 1829 a Belfast professor of theology made the gesture of pouring his stock of whiskey out of his window and this may have been the inspiration for two of Rye’s many drinkers, J W Crosse & P E F Berry, to write the … read more

Extracts from A.G. Bradley, An Old Gate of England: Rye, Romney Marsh, and the Western Cinque Ports (London: Robert Scott 1918)       The author possessed a wry sense of humour and wrote  in a delightful style.  His wife’s line drawings give a good idea of the Rye of nearly one hundred years ago.  It’s worth tracking down … read more

Two reports on: “Rye Royal” The Visit of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth August 11, 1573  from Samuel Jeakes, Charters of the Cinque Ports  “wrote in 1678″ Queen Elizabeth, in 1573, who, from the noble entertainment she had, accompanied with the Testimonies of Love and Loyalty, Duty and Reverence she received from the People was pleased … read more

More on Rye and Romney Marsh from writers who lived here The quotations here have been culled from Iain Finlayson’s excellent book Writers in Romney Marsh (London: Severn House 1986). The book’s chapters include Henry James at Lamb House, EF Benson at Lamb House, Radclyffe Hall in Rye,  Conrad Aiken at Jeake’s House, as well … read more

This third selection of Said About Rye  comes from Poems of Rye  (1979).  Patric Dickinson  (1914-1994) lived in Rye from 1947 and published and broadcast poetry for over 30 years.  He also wrote plays, an autobiography, and translated the complete Plays of Aristophanes and Virgil’s Aeneid  The first of these poems comes from the five part … read more

 1:  17th and 18th centuries Years of Depression 1698 Celia Fiennes, Through England on a Side Saddle in the Time of William and Mary  (Original spelling and punctuation) {Tunbridge] Wells to Rye 31 miles . . . I passed much through little Lanes and villages and near Rye I went thro’ a Common full of … read more