Haunted Rye – Alcohol isn’t the only spirit served here!

Welcome to Haunted Rye!

Haunted Rye’s historic half-timbered buildings and winding cobble streets are home to many things that go bump in the night. With a turbulent history of medieval warfare, invasion, murder and smuggling it’s no wonder that Rye’s historic Inns have ghostly residents that appear when the sun goes down!

Haunted Rye’s most famous and oldest pub is the Mermaid Inn dating back to 1156, rebuilt in 1420 when the town was town was sacked and burnt to the ground by the French. This atmospheric pub has many secret passages, priest-holes and sliding wall panels. Smugglers would have used these areas as a hiding place for their contraband or as an escape route from the customs officers.

The Mermaid Inn with its 8 resident ghosts is reputed to be one of the most haunted pubs in England. Can you imagine awaking to find a ghostly duel in your bedroom? A guest reported that she was awoken by two phantoms duelling around the bed she was sleeping in. The ghosts where dressed in doublets and hose, clashing swords until one of the apparitions was run through with a rapier and collapsed to the floor. The victor then dragged the body to a trap door in the corner of the room and disposed the slain ghost into the secret passage which led to the bar. A barman tending to the fire, when all of a sudden all the bottles on the shelf went crashing to the floor.

He resigned the next day!

Beside The Sea TV

Another creepy tale came from the owner of the Mermaid Inn. She came downstairs one morning to find a couple of guests sleeping on the couch in the lounge. The couple refused to go back upstairs as they’d seen people walk through the wall in their bedroom. Other guests have reported being woken at night by loud footsteps outside there room when they look into the corridor to investigate there is no one there, but no sooner as they go back to bed the heavy footsteps return.

Other spooky tales include that of a lady in grey, who it is thought to be the spirit of a chambermaid who was murdered by a smuggler for talking too much about his criminal exploits. Then there’s the woman who moves clothes around and the man in old-fashioned garments that takes to sitting on occupied beds whilst guests try to sleep!. Rooms often turn cold for no reason and rocking chairs move of their own accord.

These are just a few of the many accounts of spooky goings-on in the Mermaid Inn.

Another of haunted Rye’s pubs is The Union Inn built in the 15th Century which has many stories about ghostly encounters!

It is reputed that the pub is haunted by the ghost of a lady who died when she fell down the cellar steps. and the sound of someone walking along an empty corridor upstairs can be heard when the lights go out.

A young lady has also been seen walking through the kitchen area with the door opening and closing by itself. And if you are standing by the bar don’t be surprised to find a tall man wearing a customs uniform who vanishes before your eyes!

Another lovely pub in haunted Rye is The Ship Inn has had reports of footsteps being heard upstairs and when someone went to investigate they felt a presence. Now nobody will go upstairs on their own!

So if you are brave enough to visit one of these haunted inns don’t be surprised to find that alcohol isn’t the only spirit there!

Are you brave enough to take the haunted Rye ghost tour and visit the sites of Rye’s hauntings, ghost sightings, paranormal activities and the un-explanined.

If you would like to stay in haunted Rye, our self catering holiday cottages, are free from things that go bump in the night!