Memories of Old Rye

By Arthur Woodgate

Situated at the Winchelsea Road entrance to Gateborough Farm Road and surrounded by houses and other buildings stood ‘Gasson’s Hut’, a large timber building, open fronted on the road side, was used for tarring sails. It was very close to Suttons Marine Store and home (later known locally as Sutton’s Yard). On the other side of the hut was a roadway leading round a row of houses, This was wide enough to take several vehicles at the side and just before dark, one night back in the 1930s, two vans were parked there, laden with fuel for oil stoves, ready for delivery around Rye the following morning. Continue reading Memories of Old Rye

The Jolly Sailor

By David Russell

The Jolly Sailor first opened its doors as a beer house in Watchbell Street in 1830. Landlord Thomas Hearsfield applied for a full licence in 1831, and again successfully in 1832. Both applications were supported by a petition organised by local vicar John Myer who was mayor of Rye in 1828. He urged the magistrates to consider: Continue reading The Jolly Sailor

A New Beginning

Campaign for a Democratic Rye Group

A new beginning

by Chairman, Cllr Granville Bantick

The Campaign for a Democratic Rye Group held its inaugural meeting
on the 22nd February attended by forty people including the Steering
Group. The historian and author, Mr Peter Ewart, who himself and his
forbears came from Rye, preceded by giving a very entertaining and
illuminating talk entitled “Rebellious Rye, Corruption, Protest and
Reform in the Nineteenth Century”. It may be thought by just coincidence
that the title might apply to Rye today, with perhaps the exception
of corruption! Continue reading A New Beginning