Your adventure awaits...
Thank you for booking The Story of Rye,your about to experience 750 years of medieval history come to life on the Rye Town Model! From Cinque Port glory and royal visits to tales of smugglers, monks, and sailors.
Please arrive at least 5 minutes before your scheduled start time.
Your tickets are valid to any one ‘Story of Rye’ performance (where we have availability within this period.).
Go to your inbox for your ticket and download it today. (You can save it to your phone wallet)
Also keep an eye out for special offers!
We look forward to welcoming you… to where the past breathes.
Today's Showtimes
| The Story Of Rye |
|---|
| 10:40, 11:05, 11:30, 12:00, 12:30, 13:00, 13:40, 14:05, 14:30, 15:00, 15:30, 16:05 |
Tickets valid for 14 says from day of purchase.
If you require a specialist language, please do speak to our volunteers.
History of the model
Work started on building the Town Model back in 1973 when Joy Harland and her husband Ted decided to embark on this real labour of love following a trip to Ghent where they saw a similar show and were inspired to create something amazing for their home town of Rye.
After three years and more of painstaking research and construction using a variety of materials, including recycled TV packaging, bottle brushes, cardboard and a lot of glue, their task was complete.
Finally, they revealed their master creation to the public exhibiting first in the old boy’s School in Mermaid Street and ultimately being taken on by Rye Town Council and given a permanent home in The Old Sail Loft at Strand Quay. The attention to detail and accuracy of this scale model of the town as it was in the mid 19th century is quite something to see – brought to life in the accompanying audiovisual show,
After nearly thirty years of operation, the Town Model and operation of the Heritage Centre were handed over to the Rye Heritage Centre Charity in 2020, happily continuing the tradition of introducing the history of this medieval town to visitors and residents alike.
The charity has also embarked on a multi year programme of renewal and regeneration of the Heritage displays and model shows. Projection mapping was added in 2024/2025 and new shows have been expanding the capabilities of what we can offer and teach.
Discover more...
Our first show Rye’s Story: WWII follows the real life stories of the people of Rye during the second world war and with projection we can pinpoint the location of the bombs and damaged that be felled Rye.
For those who like a scare, we added the history of the witches and ghosts that have been told through the centuries in our haunted Rye After Dark shows.(not for the faint-hearted).
Moving forward, we wish to expand our programme of shows to encompass the national curriculum and other historical aspects of Rye. Your support by donation helps us run the centre alongside our army of volunteers.
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