RYE CASTLE · YPRES TOWER · EAST SUSSEX
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Rye Castle
Climb Ypres Tower, wander a medieval herb garden, and uncover the stories held within Rye’s oldest landmark.
— WELCOME TO RYE CASTLE
Seven Centuries of Rye, All in One Place
Few buildings have lived as many lives as this one. Built in the 13th century to defend against French raids, Rye Castle has since been a fortress, a courthouse, a gaol, and a women’s prison.
These thick sandstone walls once held vagabonds, debtors, smugglers, and those accused of witchcraft and murder. When the prison closed, the basement became the town mortuary until 1959.
Today, the old exercise yard is a tranquil herb garden, and the original cells in the Women’s Tower still stand. Climb to the top and the view opens out dramatically over Romney Marsh, a quiet, windswept landscape that was once a thriving medieval port.
— EXPLORE & DISCOVER
There's More Here Than Meets the Eye
— A TALE OF TWO NAMES
Rye Castle or Ypres Tower? It's Both.
Visit Rye and you’ll likely hear both names used interchangeably. Don’t let it confuse you. They refer to the same building, and the story behind the double identity is worth knowing.
The castle was built around 1249 and has always been known as Rye Castle. The alternative name came about in the 14th century, when a wealthy local merchant family called de Ypres acquired the tower. Their name became so associated with the building that it stuck, and locals have called it Ypres Tower ever since.
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