Rye Parish Church of St Mary
For almost 900 years the Parish Church of Rye, dedicated to St Mary the Virgin, has dominated the hill on which the old town stands. It has stood through good times and bad. In 1377 when the town was looted and set on fire by French invaders the church was extensively damaged. The roof fell in and the bells were carried off to France. They were recovered the next year when men from Rye and Winchelsea sailed to Normandy and took them back!
In 1742 a murder took place in the churchyard when Allen Grebell was killed by John Breeds who mistook him for the Mayor. John Breeds was hung and his remains placed in an iron cage on Gibbets Marsh. Later this was moved to the church and later still to the Town Hall where it is to this day. The grave of Allen Grebell can be seen in the Clare Chapel.
There are several interesting stained glass windows in the church, although none are very old. The most beautiful is by Sir Edward Burne-Jones (1891) in memory of Mary Tiltman and can be seen in the North Aisle.
Today St Mary's is a popular destination for tourists who come to see the oldest church turret clock in the country which is still functioning. It dates from 1561-2 and has an 18ft long pendulum (a much later addition) which can be seen swinging in the body of the church. The present exterior clock face and the original 'Quarter Boys' (so called because they strike the quarters but not the hours) were added in 1760.
 The Burne-Jones Window |
The church is open daily from 9 am - 6 pm (4 pm in winter). The tower is also open daily and can be climbed, for a charge, to see the clock mechanism, the bells and a wonderful view of Rye and the surrounding countryside.
Regular services take place as follows: Sunday Services
Thursday Service
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View looking North from the Tower
This clock, which for over four hundred years has recorded the passing of the hours for the towns-people of Rye, was made during the years 1560-2 by a man from Winchelsea named Lewys Billiard. The Churchwarden's accounts show the cost to have been £33.18.0. which would have been about £250 today. It is said to be the oldest turret clock still operational with its original works in England.
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The dial and Quarter Boys date from the year 1700. The pendulum beats but once in two and a quarter seconds. It is dated 1810. In 1958 the clock was cleaned for the first time in thirty two years. |
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View looking North West from the Tower
Parish Records: All parish records of baptism/marriage/death
are kept in East Sussex Record Office:
The Maltings, Castle Precincts, Lewes BN7 1YT
Tel: 01273 482 359
Fax: 01273 482 341