GROUPS
School Visits
Step beyond the classroom and into nearly 1,000 years of history at Rye Castle & Prison, one of Rye’s most fascinating historic landmarks.
Originally built in the 13th century to defend the town from invasion, the tower has served as a fortress, prison, morgue, and courthouse, offering pupils a vivid, real-world connection to medieval and early modern England.
education
Curriculum
- Key Stage 1 & 2 History – castles, significant local history, and changes over time
- Key Stage 3 History – medieval society, law and order, and the role of coastal towns
- Geography – the strategic importance of Rye’s location
- From £1 per child with free teacher entry.
tour options
Teachers are welcome to lead their own tours, allowing flexibility to tailor the visit to specific learning objectives. Informational displays throughout the tower support independent exploration and discussion.
Herb Garden
In what was the prison exercise yard, a garden has been planted with medicinal herbs and other plants in practical use in Medieval times.
Fortification
Built as a fortification some time in the 13th Century, it was sold to a Belgian named John de Iprys in 1430 and subsequently the Tower took his name.
Royal visit
Elizabeth I almost certainly held court here when she visited the town in 1574 and bestowed the title ‘Rye Royal’.
Prison
From 1250 onwards it also served as a prison, with additional cells added to the East wall in the 19th Century.
Morgue
In its later life, the towers lower floor was the town morgue from 1891 to 1959 and was used during WWI and WWII.
Womens Prison
At the foot of the garden stands the Women’s Tower, a purpose-built prison exclusively to house female inmates.
Your visit
The Location
Rye Castle & Prison is centrally located in the historic town of Rye, making it easy to combine with a wider educational visit. Nearby streets, buildings, and viewpoints provide additional opportunities for cross-curricular learning.
The stairs and doorways in the Tower are narrow. We advise groups of fewer than 25 at a time to actively tour the Castle, but larger groups can be broken up and some can explore the surrounding area.
More to see
East Street Museum
3 East Street is a short walk from the castle and includes exhibits on ship building, pottery, hop growing and other local industries. There’s a display on EF Benson and his Mapp and Lucia books and another on John Ryan, creator of Captain Pugwash, who was a local and a great friend of the Museum.
With advanced warning, we can open the Museum specially for you during weekdays for you and your group for a £25 fee. (subject to availability of staff.
We encourage you to book online here, as it keeps our admin costs to a minimum. If, however, you have a special requirement or are unable to split your group over our periods, then please contact us.
Education
You can download our Group Booking Risk Assessment guide here or our Access Statement.
This information alongside other useful tips will be sent with your online booking confirmation.