Pictures of Rye Castle Museum

a Castle in the town of Rye, in the county of East Sussex

About Rye Castle Museum

Rye Castle Museum, also known as 'Ypres Tower', in the beautiful maritime town of Rye, occupies a commanding position overlooking what centuries ago was the busy port of Rye.

The castle is the town's oldest building. In the 15th-century it was a defence post known as Baddings Tower. The building was sold in 1430 to John de Ypres in order to raise money.

These days within its ancient walls visitors can learn of the rich Maritime history of Rye, about its people throughout the various centuries, and of Rye as a Cinque Port.

It tells about smuggling and shipwreck, of farming and the local countryside, through a series of displays, exhibits and objects that are combined to help visitors understand how Rye came to be the historic town it is today, and why it was once one of England's leading ports.

Here you will also learn the history of the castle building, for this too, has a fascinating past. It went from being a defence post to a private dwelling, and has been used as both a prison and a mortuary before becoming the town's museum.

The castle's sister museum is situated in an old bottling factory at Nr 3, East Street. In this building you can see the town's 18th-century fire engine, Maritime exhibits, learn all about Rye during the war years, see Cinque Port Regalia, and much more.

Both of these museums are well worth a visit, they are lively, informative, and grip the imagination of young and old alike.

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Nearby travel help

Rye Station	(0.4 miles, 0.7 km)
Winchelsea Station	(2.1 miles, 3.4 km, direction SW)
Lydd Airport	(9.0 miles, 14.5 km, direction E)
M20 Junction 10	(15.1 miles, 24.3 km, direction NE)
M20 Junction 9	(15.7 miles, 25.2 km, direction N)
London Gatwick Airport	(42.3 miles, 68.0 km, direction W)
Rye Castle Museum to London	(53.8 miles, 86.6 km, direction NW)

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