Rye, East Sussex

Infobox UK place
official_name=Rye
country=England
region=South East England
static_

static_image_caption=The Ypres tower, Rother, Rye Harbour and marshes seen from the tower of St Mary's church, Rye.
area_footnotes=cite web |url=http://www.eastsussexinfigures.org.uk/webview/ |title=East Sussex in Figures |accessdate=2008-04-26 |publisher=East Sussex County Council]
area_total_km2 =4.2
population=4108 (Parish-2007)
population_density= Pop density mi2 to km2|2564|precision=0|abbr=yes
os_grid_reference=TQ920206
latitude=50.95
longitude=0.73
post_town=RYE
postcode_area=TN
postcode_district=TN31
dial_code=01797
constituency_westminster=Hastings and Rye
london_distance=convert|53|mi NW
shire_district=Rother
shire_county=East Sussex
website=http://www.ryetowncouncil.gov.uk/ The small town of Rye, in East Sussex, England, stands at the confluence of two rivers, although in medieval times, as an important member of the Cinque Ports, it was at the head of an embayment of the English Channel, almost entirely surrounded by the sea. It is officially a civil parish but with its historic roots has the status of a town; it has a population of 4009 (2001 census). During its history its association with the sea has included being involved with smuggling gangs of the 18th and 19th centuries.

Those historic roots make it a tourist destination, and much of its economy is based on that: there are a number of hotels and restaurants, as well as other attractions, catering for the visitor. There is small fishing fleet, and the Harbour has facilities for yachts and other vessels.A known Demonym for the people who live in the town is 'Ryer's' and in Sussex they are sometimes referred to as 'Mud Heads' [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/southerncounties/voices2005/sx_gloss.shtml BBC Voices - A Sussex Glossary] ] .

History

*"Details of Rye's history may be found at the Rye Castle Museum website [ [http://www.ryemuseum.co.uk/ Rye Castle Museum and Rye Local History Information Service] ] , from which much of the following is taken"
*"Further details are to be found at "Vision of Britain" [ [http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/place_page.jsp?p_id=1075 "Vision of Britain"] ]

Until the end of the Wealden iron industry (and probably in Roman times) Rye was important as a place of shipment and storage of iron, especially armaments. Camber Castle was built by Henry VIII, one of five built to protect this coast.

The medieval map shows that Rye was then located on a large bay: the River Rother (not shown) took an easterly course to flow into the sea at Romney. The town was to become a "limb" of the Cinque Ports by 1189, and subsequently a full member. The violent storms of later centuries (particularly the 13th) were to cut the town off from the sea; and, when the River Rother (which had by now changed its course) and the sea combined in about 1375 to destroy the eastern part of the town, ships began use the current area (the "Strand") to off-load their cargoes. In the same century the town wall was completed [ [http://homepage.mac.com/philipdavis/LOC/13690303.html 14th century "murage"] ] as a defence against foreign raiders.

who met in the Mermaid Inn Rye - turned to murder and were subsequently hanged.

Since 1803 there have been lifeboats stationed at Rye [ [http://www.rnli.org.uk/rnli_near_you/east/stations/ryeharboureastsussex/history History of Rye Harbour] ] although the lifeboat station is now named "Rye Harbour". The worst disaster in its history occurred in 1928, when the vessel (the "The Mary Stanford of Rye" sank with all hands. The incident is recorded by a tablet at Winchelsea church; and by the folk-song "The Mary Stanford of Rye" [Recorded by by the British folk band Meet On The Ledge; and by the American folk duo William Pint and Felicia Dale] . Between 1696 and 1948 there have been six ships of the Royal Navy to bear the name HMS Rye.

Governance

Although officially considered to be a civil parish [ [http://www.ryetowncouncil.gov.uk/aboutusthecouncil.aspx Notes on Rye Town Council] ] , Rye’s governing body - because of its history - is that of a Town Council. That Council has one electoral ward, electing 16 members, one of whom then is elected Mayor of Rye. [ [http://www.ryetowncouncil.gov.uk/meetingstermsofreference.aspx Rye Town Council Terms of Reference] ] . The current Mayor (2008-9) is Cllr Samuel Souster (Labour).

The Member of Parliament for the combined constituency of Hastings and Rye is Michael Jabez Foster.

Geography

Rye is located at the point where the sandstone high land of the Weald reaches the coast. The medieval coastline (see map above), with its large bay, allowed ships to come up to the port. The original course of the River Rother then reached the sea at Romney to the north-east. The storms in the English Channel in the thirteenth century, coupled with reclamation of the bay, brought huge quantities of gravel through longshore drift along the coast, blocking the entrance to the port. The course of the river has also changed over the centuries, so that Rye now stands on the river, at the point of its confluence with the River Tillingham.

The river itself, now flowing southward into "Rye Bay", and the environs of Rye Harbour, are managed and maintained by the Environment Agency [ [http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/subjects/navigation/747415/187958/ Rye Harbour: Environment Agency website] ] Most of the town lies on the original rocky heights and contains the historic buildings including St Mary's parish church, the Ypres Tower (part of the Town Wall), Lamb House and many of the houses on Mermaid Street, Watchbell Street, and Church Square. The main road skirts the town to the south after crossing the river; before that point there is some ribbon development along the Hastings road.

Demography and economy

Rye, apart from its tourist base, continues to operate as a port. The fishing fleet (code-lettered RX, Rye, SusseX) lands fish daily, and some is sold at the Strand quay.

Transport

At the latter end of the 18th century, Rye was connected to the Turnpike Trust system of roads. One of these, the Flimwell Turnpike, took passengers towards London [ [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=NIcJAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA462&lpg=PA462&dq=Rye+Turnpike+Trust&source=web&ots=u0DAF5jmZz&sig=BecXB1YZHyjE65MjRUDeP3zAKL4&hl=en#PPA462,M1 "The History and Antiquities of the Ancient Town and Port of Rye" William Holloway, 1847 Google Books] ] ; the second ran from Hastings eastwards through the town. These two roads are now the A258 and the A259.

In addition to the hourly 711 Dover-Hastings Stagecoach long-distance service there are a number of buses connecting Rye with other towns and villages, including Tenterden, Hastings and Tunbridge Wells [ [http://www.carlberry.co.uk/rfnlistr.asp?L1=RYE002&op=D Listing of bus and coach services from Rye] ] .

Rye has a railway station on the "Marshlink" line between Hastings and Ashford. [ It was also the terminus for the pre-World War II Rye & Camber Tramway, built to serve golf courses and Camber Sands, closed at the outbreak of WWII and never reopened]

Several long-distance footpaths can be joined by walkers in the town. The Saxon Shore Way which starts at Gravesend, Kent and traces the coast as it was in Roman times, passes through Rye "en route" to Hastings; the 1066 Country Walk leads from Rye to Pevensey; the High Weald Landscape Trail goes to Horsham; and the Royal Military Canal Path follows that waterway to Hythe.

Education

Thomas Peacocke Community College is Rye's secondary school. The two primary schools, Tilling Green Infant School and Freda Gardham Community School, will be replaced by a new school in September 2008.

Amenities

Rye is a local centre as well as being a tourist spot. Rye Farmers’ Market [ [http://www.ryemarket.org.uk/ Rye Farmers' Market] ] takes place on Strand Quay every Thursday morning; and a general market antiques, collectors' book and record shops and many art galleries, selling works by local artists and potters with changing exhibitions throughout the year. A general weekly market takes place by the station every Thursday.

One of the tourist websites includes a picture tour of the town [ [http://www.picturesofengland.com/Rye "A Picture Tour of Rye"] ]

Rye in literature

There are various mentions of the town by famous travel writers between the 16th and 18th centuries, although not all to the good. Sir Robert Naunton (1563–1635) mentions it in his book "Travels in England", published sometime between 1628 and 1632: he calls Rye a “small English seaport“; shortly after his arrival he takes post-horses for London, travelling via Flimwell. Daniel Defoe (1660–1731) describes the state of the harbour and its approaches, saying that ‘’Rye would flourish again, if her harbour, which was once able to receive the royal navy, cou'd be restor'd … ’’ but that he thought it very doubtful that large ships would be able to use the port again. [ [http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/text/chap_page.jsp?t_id=Defoe&c_id=7&p_id=9 ‘’Vision of Britain‘’ Daniel Defoe, Letter 2] ] William Cobbett (1763–1835) simply mentions it in passing, saying that this area (that including the Romney Marsh) would be most likely to be where the French invaders might land.

Rye has produced and attracted many fiction writers, some of whom lived at Lamb House, one of the town's historic residences and now owned by the National Trust [ [http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-lambhouse/ National Trust:Lamb House] ] They include
Henry James (1843–1916), the American novelist, who was resident between 1898 and 1916; Rumer Godden (1907–98), the Anglo-Indian novelist; and E.F. Benson (1867–1940), the English novelist. Both the House and the town feature prominently in Benson's "Mapp and Lucia" novels, as "Mallards House" and "Tilling" respectively. In the mid 1980s Rye was used as a filming location by LWT for its adaptation of the "Mapp and Lucia" novels.

People of Rye

Other residents of the town and environs have included:
* Conrad Aiken (1889–1973), American writer. Aiken's former home, Jeake's House, is now a guest house.
* Joan Aiken (1924–2004), children's author, daughter of Conrad Aiken
* John Christopher (1922– ), science fiction author. The 1980s British television series based on his trilogy, "The Tripods", was filmed near his house.
* Monica Edwards (1912–1998), children's author who lived at Rye Harbour and set her "Romney Marsh" novels in the area, renaming Rye "Dunsford".
* John Fletcher (1579–1625), Jacobean playwright and solicitor.
* Radclyffe Hall (1880–1943), seminal lesbian writer.
* Monica and Gabriela Irimia (1982– ), the Cheeky Girls.
* Sir Paul McCartney (1942– ), musician and former Beatle. McCartney's children attended the local schools in Rye.
* Spike Milligan (1918–2002), comedian, writer, musician, poet, playwright and vice-president of the Rye Rugby Club.
* John Ryan (1921– ), Although born in Edinburgh, this British Author/Cartoonist famed for his TV cartoon Captain Pugwash, is a resident of Rye.
* Malcolm Saville (1901–82), author of nearly 80 children's books, largely thrillers and adventure stories. Saville was the creator of the Lone Pine series of books, a number of which were set in Rye, including "The Gay Dolphin Adventure" and "Rye Royal".
* Russell Thorndike (1885–1972), who set his "Dr Syn" novels about smuggling on the marshes.
* Philippa Urquhart (1940– ), British actress.
* Sir Anthony van Dyck did several drawings of the town, unusually detailed for him, and probably done to pass the time until a ship to the continent arrived Fact|date=March 2008.

References