The Story Of… The Mermaid Inn in Rye, East Sussex, UK

 

 

 

Exclusive Interview with Proprietor Judith Blincow
By Karen Beishuizen
Photos courtesy of The Mermaid Inn

The Mermaid Inn is a small inn in Rye, East Sussex, UK. The cellars are dating back to 1156 and the building was rebuilt in 1420 after it was burned down. The inn has 31 unique rooms named after smugglers, previous landlords and the town’s Mayors: 9 rooms have four-poster beds. There is a 2 AA Rosette restaurant for fine dining and a full bar menu for those wanting to be a little less formal. Guests have seen the same things in the same 6 rooms, so you could call it haunted and no longer a co-incidence.

Famous guests over the years included Judy Garland, President Eisenhower, Charlie Chaplin, Her Majesty The Queen Mother, and Johnny Depp. So if you want to step out of Tom Baker’s (Dr Who) tardis and be transported back in time with a wealth of old ship’s timbers and talking points at every turn, go and visit The Mermaid Inn. You might even bump into Tom Baker as he is a regular!

KB: Describe tot he RSR readers when and by who The Mermaid Inn was founded?

The Mermaid Inn was originally built in 1156, which is the date of our existing cellars, but then everything in the town, apart from St Mary’s Church was burnt down by The French in 1377. The Mermaid was then rebuilt around 1420. The earliest name of an owner I have is John Fawtrell in 1597. He became Mayor that year and we discovered that he paid for Shakespeare’s company to perform at this mayoring.

KB: The rooms all have different names? What do they look like?

All of our rooms are named after either smugglers, previous landlords or the town’s Mayors. Every room is completely different, all with white plaster walls and black beams or wooden panelling. Some rooms have secret passages, but these are used as fire exits now. Some have large fireplaces and nine have four-poster beds.

KB: Your bar has a secret passageway that was used by smugglers?

Dr Syn’s bedchamber has a secret passage behind a bookcase which leads to stairs that go down to the bar. We had a barman who worked for us many years ago and when he came in one morning, all of the glasses fell off the shelf, just were the staircase used to come down – he was so shaken that he took his bow tie off and left it on top of the bar and we never saw him again.

KB: What does the restaurant menu look like and what is your favorite dish?

Our menu changes according to the seasons and what we are able to source locally. We have a 2 AA Rosette restaurant for fine dining and a full bar menu for those wanting to be a little less formal. We edge towards quality English with a hint of French in style. I don’t have a favorite dish as I tend to love all the dishes that our Head Chef prepares. Menus are always kept up to date on our website.

KB: I read The Mermaid Inn is haunted? Do you have a story for the RSR readers?

We have 6 rooms that people see things in and it is always the same thing that they see in each room so it could be more than just a co-incidence. When I first started working at The Mermaid 41 years ago I can remember coming on duty first thing in the morning and finding a couple asleep in the lounge. They were adamant that they had both seen a figure coming out of the wall, walk across the room and then disappear through another wall. They refused to go back upstairs so I had to go and collect their belongings and they got changed in the lounge before speeding off home……

KB: Which famous guests have visited The Mermaid Inn over the years?

We had had an amazing list of famous guests stay over the years which for a small inn in Rye, East Sussex is rather special – Judy Garland, President Eisenhower, Mia Farrow, Charlie Chaplin, Her Majesty The Queen Mother, Prince Edward, Johnny Depp, Pierce Brosnan and many famous writers such as E.F. Benson and Henry James.

KB: In which series, films or documentaries did The Mermaid Inn appear in?

The Mermaid has appeared in many films and series over the years: “Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N.” with Gregory Peck, “Doctor Syn”, some of the “Carry On” films, “Mapp and Lucia”, “Most Haunted” (the first series) and just before Christmas we were featured on “Mary Berry’s Christmas Treats” to name but a few.

KB: Describe tot he RSR readers what they will see on a visit to The Mermaid Inn.

As you step inside The Mermaid Inn you are immediately transported back in time with a wealth of old ship’s timbers and talking points at every turn. From witches balls to a hidden well under our fountain (in one of the best examples of an internal courtyard of its age) you could almost imagine you had gone back in time stepping out of Tom Baker’s (Dr Who) tardis. By the way Tom Baker is a regular visitor too!!

KB: Why should people visit The Mermaid Inn?

The Mermaid, I believe, is one of a kind, once seen never forgotten and an absolute must see when visiting Rye. We employ 56 local people, add to the community as much as we possibly can and keep true values and traditions alive.

Check out The Mermaid Inn’s website: HERE

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