Most T
Haunted
As Halloween approaches,Waterfront takes a trip to Rye to investigate the ancient Inn whose vivid history and in-house apparitions made it the focus of a recent documentary on Great British Ghosts
here is something compelling about a ghost story. Perhaps it is the heart-pumping thrill that comes with the sensation of fear
or maybe it is the niggling feeling that makes us wonder whether these stories, these chilling recollections, could actually be true! Te rich history of the Mermaid Inn, which is thought to have existed since 1156, combined with the consistent ghost sightings within its walls make it one of the most compelling buildings in England. Judith Blincow, the proprietor of the
Mermaid, is all too familiar with the Inn’s rich past. She regales me with the fascinating stories of the Reformation when the Inn would conceal Catholic priests who were fleeing the Continent. In the fireplace of the Lounge Bar there is a ledge cut into the side of the chimney
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breast, a hiding place often referred to as the Priest’s Hole. “Rye had one of the deepest harbours so all of the French Galleons docked there,” Judith explains. “If you were hiding a Catholic and they needed to get out then they
could hide there until the tide was right and then make their escape. I’ve actually been in there myself. I’d never do it again though. I’ve never come across so many spiders lurking in one chimney in my life!” Tere are also several secret passageways in the Inn, one of which, like a scene reminiscent from a Scooby Doo cartoon, has a stairway concealed behind a book case. “Tere was even a toilet in one of the passageways,” Judith adds, “so that people who had to hide in there for a long period of time weren’t too uncomfortable.” Tis rich history comes to life easily in one’s imagination when standing in the building itself. Te entrance hall’s timbered ceilings and Tudor arch with wonderful carved spandrils give an immediate flavour of the Mermaid’s mesmerizing interior. A big oak doorway
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