| The Mermaid Inn | |
|---|---|
 | |
  | |
| Alternative names | Mermaid Hotel |
| General information | |
| Location | East Sussex, England |
| Coordinates | 50°57′0″N 0°43′53″E / 50.95000°N 0.73139°E |
| Completed | 1156 1420 |
| Owner | Judith Blincow and Georgina Kite |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Timber framing |
The Mermaid Inn is a Grade II* listed historical inn located on Mermaid Street in the ancient town of Rye, East Sussex, southeastern England.[1] One of the best-known inns in southeast England, it was established in the 12th century and has a long, turbulent history. The current building dates from 1420 and has 16th-century additions in the Tudor style, but cellars built in 1156 survive.[2] The inn has a strong connection with the notorious Hawkhurst Gang of smugglers, who used it in the 1730s and 1740s as one of their strongholds: Rye was a thriving port during this period. Some of the smugglers, their mistresses and other characters are reported to haunt the inn.
The AA Rosette-winning restaurant serves British and French cuisine and features medieval-style artwork in the interior by the Slade School of Fine Art. It has been owned by Judith Blincow since 1993.
- ^ Holloway 1847, p. 327.
- ^ "History of the Mermaid Inn". Mermaid Inn. Archived from the original on 15 August 2011. Retrieved 21 July 2011.