![]() A revolving cupboard at the end of the tunnel in the Olde Bell would then be used by the gang for a quick getaway.]Ī resident of Rye remembered the smugglers as “when the Hawkhurst Gang were at the height of their pride and insolence having seen them (after successfully running a cargo of goods on the seashore), seated at the windows of this house (the Mermaid) carousing and smoking their pipes, with their loaded pistols lying on the table before them no magistrate daring to interfere with them”. ![]() There are a myriad of secret tunnels, including one which ran from the cellars to the Old Bell Inn (built 1390) in The Mint, a street which runs parallel to the north of Mermaid Street. This large group of smugglers controlled territory from Kent to Dorset from their base at the Oak and Ivy Inn in Hawkhurst, but they used the Mermaid Inn as a secondary location. The Mermaid Inn had a strong connection with the notorious Hawkhurst Gang which used the premises during the 1730s and 1740s. The Small Lounge overlooks the cobbles of Mermaid Street which was once the main route to the anchorage in Rye in years gone by. Enjoy the comfort and atmosphere of Dr Syn’s Lounge and look for the wall carvings of the Catholic priests fleeing to the continent at the time of the Reformation. Enjoy the ambience of the large restaurant, the cosiness of the small dining room or the privacy of the Boardroom for your evening meal, lunch and breakfast. Can you see the secret passageway entrance?ĭine in the Linen Fold Panelled Restaurant. Sloping ceilings, creaking floorboards and numerous staircases, which are the product of history and a rich tradition that is maintained by careful stewardship.Įxperience a drink in the Giant’s Fireplace Bar and imagine how the Hawkhurst Gang, local smugglers in the 1730s and 1740s, caroused in the bar. The Mermaid Inn offers a totally different experience. Welcome to the unique Mermaid Inn, rich in history with cellars dating from 1156 and rebuilt in 1420. – View over the archway that leads through to Mermaid Street – Caen Stone Fireplace – Beamed ceiling – Wattle and daub walls – Latticed windows – A Double Bed – A Single Bed – Antique furniture Russell Thorndike frequently visited The Mermaid Inn and was welcomed by the Gregory family who owned the Inn during the 1950s. The vicar of Dymchurch, Dr Syn, was portrayed by George Arliss in a 1937 feature film and Patrick McGoohan in a 1960’s Walt Disney version. ![]() The ‘Dr Syn’s Bedchamber’ is named after Dr Syn, the fictitious character of the author Russell Thorndike, but based on the factual ‘Hawkhurst’ smuggling gang of 600 men. ![]()
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