The story of Rye Castle dates back to the early 13th century, when there is a mention of it in a document dated 1216. It was possibly originally built some time in the middle of the 12th century. There are no remains of that early building to be seen. What we see today was first mentioned in 1226 and then 1249, and was commissioned by order of King Henry III. The original intention seems to have been to construct a castle more like those in Hastings or Pevensey, but work was never completed, leaving just the tower, constructed from sandstone, in rather splendid isolation. It occupies a natural defensive position, a base of rock that was about 50 feet high, and looking out over the original harbour. Its name then was Baddings Tower, probably a reference to the Badding family, then well-known in nearby Kent. Badding is an uncommon name, members of the family mostly being found in Kent, Essex, the West Midlands and west of England, especially Devon and Cornwall.
Records show us that in 1329 an application for a grant of murage was made to King Edward III, for which letters patent were issued. This was a time limited toll or tax to provide for the building and repair of a town’s defences. Repairs were made to the town’s defences before and after the series of French raids that caused so much death and destruction in the 14th century.
During the 15th century the castle seems to have been in use as the local prison. In 1430, it was decided that the castle was no longer really suitable for defensive purposes, so was sold to a local sheriff, John de Iprys, who made it into his home. It was during his ownership that it came to be known as Ypres Tower – spelling was still somewhat fluid in those days. In 1494 the council of Rye took a lease on the building, using it as a prison, buying it in 1518, when it became the courthouse and jail.
King Henry VIII was forced, by the threat of French invasion, to strengthen the defences of the south coast. His programme of building Device Forts, such as Winchelsea Castle, included constructing an artillery battery by Rye Castle. It was reinforced in 1588, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, to play its part in defending England against the Spanish Armada. It was rearmed and repaired again late in the 18th century, when we were again at war with the France of Napoleon. As late as 1830 it was armed with 18 cannons.
During the periods of war, the castle was still in use as a prison. It had a full time gaoler by 1796 – perhaps indicative of an increasing level of law breaking? An exercise yard was constructed by the north west tower in 1819, and a prison for women added in 1837, with its own exercise yard. Its use as a prison ended in 1891, when it was decided that even criminals needed to be incarcerated in better conditions. The exercise yards were converted into gardens, whilst the building was reused as the town mortuary. The castle was severely damaged in a German air raid in 1942, when the roof of the Ypres tower and the Women’s tower were destroyed. Repair work was completed during the 1950s and since 1954 it has been a home to Rye Museum.
The Rye Castle Museum has two sites, one in a former bottling factory in East Street and the other at the Castle / Ypres Tower.
Castle / Ypres Tower is open daily throughout the year. March 30 to October 31 from 10:30am to 5pm. November 1 to March 29 from 10:30am to 3:30pm.
East Street is open at weekends from April to October from 10:30am to 4:30pm (subject to availability of volunteers).
Image Credits: Chris Lawson .