Ypres Castle in Rye has a new defender – in the shape of a knight in shining armour in its entrance hall – as the museum heads for a celebration next month.
Rye Museum Association (Rye Castle Museum) celebrates its 90th birthday on July 28 and it will be celebrating with an event (yet to be announced) that evening.
In the meantime though, the castle continues to attract visitors from around the world including between June 3 and 5 visitors from Japan, Singapore, Texas, Australia and London who all left messages in the visitors’ book. And, of course, there were more from closer to home.
As ever, the castle includes a variety of exhibits reflecting the history of the town and the area – and the armour is a pointer to medieval challenges in the basement where you can try to fire a crossbow and lift a knight’s sword – both harder than you may think.
Then back on the ground floor there is the exciting and well-perfumed still room (short for distillery room) as ointments and medicines (as well as beers and wines) were distilled from a variety of herbs and spices, many of which can still be found in our gardens – though some were imported.
On the first floor you can learn all about local smugglers, as well as local regiments, and see how the coastline has dramatically changed. Indeed, where I live in Valley Park on the edge of Rye I overlook what was a coastal inlet in the 13th century (now the River Tillingham) and ships could navigate up to Bodiam Castle past the Isle of Oxney.
On the same floor an outside viewing terrace provides great views from Rye towards the marshes and the sea, and one can imagine soldiers watching out for French invaders – and the coastline model also shows all the Martello towers built to watch out for Napoleon’s navy.
That terrace overlooks a large, enclosed herb garden which takes you to the Victorian women’s tower prison – but it is worth just sitting in the garden and breathing in the smell of herbs.
The new armour is just that – a replica – but it stands comfortably within the castle, and even more of Rye’s history can be found in the nearby East Street museum, open at weekends.
Photo: Kenneth Bird