The Mermaid Inn

The Mermaid Inn is an extremely old location in England. This building is so old that it dates all the way back to the medieval era of the 1100s, and it's even thought that the street the inn lies on was named after the inn. Across the many years, the Mermaid Inn has seen it's fair share of violence through a French raid during 1377, and then through its unofficial owenership by the brutal Hawkhurst smuggling gang during the 1730s and 1740s. In more recent years, the inn has had a far less dramatic life, although has drawn the attention of many famous individuals who have stayed here as guests. With such a long history, the Mermaid Inn has a whole host of spirits said to haunt the location; ranging from silhouettes to full-body apparitions. Maids have been too frightened to clean a room by themselves, an employee has quit because of the activity he had witnessed, and a couple even refused to stay the whole night in their room.

History

Located in the south of England, on Mermaid Street, Rye; the Mermaid Inn was established in the 1100s, although only the cellars date back to that time. The Norman era cellars were carbon dated, and the tests confirmed that they date back to 1156. The rest of the building is newer than the cellars because, during 1377, the French raided the town of Rye. This act resulted in any wooden structure burning to the ground, including the Mermaid Inn. The inn was rebuilt, with the main building dating back to 1420; making the cellars the only original feature. During the medieval era, the Mermaid Inn served as a popular alehouse given it provided cheap lodging at a penny a night. It also brewed its own ale which, given my research on other locations, probably means it was particularly strong.

Additions to the inn were made during the 1500s in the tudor style, and during 1530 the location was used by Catholic priests to hide themselves away following them fleeing the continent in the face of protestant reformation. Priest holes, secret spots within a building used to hide away Catholic priests, have been found in the Mermaid Inn due to this time period. The entrance to one of these priest holes is through the back of the cupboard which is above the bar fireplace.

More secrets would be constructed into the building, mainly secret passageways, and these were all in good use during the 1700s. Rye was part of the cinque ports confederation due to it being one of five coastal towns in Kent and Sussex. Due to this, Rye supplied ships to the 'cinque ports fleet' which until 1558 supplied goods to the Crown. Queen Elizabeth I even stayed at the Mermaid Inn somewhere between 1550 and 1570, although I have found one source specifically say the date was 1573. During this time, the Queen also named the town 'Rye Royale'. The significance of the port all connects to the secret passages because this strong association with trade led to smugglers operating in the area; and as Mermaid Street was once the main road to the anchorage in Rye, the Mermaid Inn was extremely popular with sailors and smugglers.

During the 1700s, the Hawkhurst gang were a feared group of smugglers which consisted of of 600 men. They controlled territory stretching from Kent to Dorset during the 1730s and 1740s, more specifically I've found that they operated from 1735 to 1749. The gang had two leaders, Arthur Grey and Thomas Kingsmill. Regarding Arthur Grey, I've found a number of sources discuss a man I believe to be him; however I've found they can refer to this man by a different name. I've seen Arthur Grey, Arthur Gray, Thomas Grey, and George Gray. I believe variations of the last name will likely be down to an English spelling versus and American one, however the variety of first names is odd. The name 'Thomas Grey' may be down to a muddling up of the mysterious Mr. Grey and the other leader Thomas Kingsmill. In my used sources Arthur Grey and Arthur Gray are referred to as gang leaders, Thomas Grey is referred to as a gang member, and George Gray is referred to as the founder. Perhaps all of these people did exist as this was during a time where names were commonly used in such a way, but I feel a muddling up has happened somewhere. It was important to mention the variety of names given to this Mr Grey through my used sources.

I have found that one of the rooms is called 'Grays room' and that it was named after George Gray, a butcher during 1747, and noted as the leader and possible founder of the Hawkhurst gang. To me, this suggests that the appropriate names for the leaders are indeed Thomas Kingsmill and George Gray. Apparently Georges picture hangs in the foyer of the Inn, and during his time he owned vaults and warehouses, plus carried out financial transactions for the gang. During the time, the local name for 'smugglers' was 'owlers'. Anyone who traded tea, brandy, lace, and wool, was known as this on Romney Marsh along with in the surrounding area.

The main location the Hawkhurst gang operated from was the Oak and Ivy Inn, which is located in Hawkhurst, but the Mermaid Inn was their secondary location due to it being so close to the coast. I've found that William Fairall was one of the nastiest smugglers in the gang, and that Thomas Bean was the landlord at the time. I've found that he was the landlord during 1735, 1736, and 1751. I've also found that the 1751 accounts of the Inn 'cease abruptly' and that this is thought to have been when the Hawkhurst gang took over and the Rye corporation moved elsewhere. This is a bit of a contradiction though given I've found the leaders of the Hawkhurst gang were executed in 1748 and 1749, and that the gang were no longer operating as they were following their defeat at the Battle of Goudhurst during 1747. This leads me to think the records likely ceased during 1741 as this is when the gang will have been at their most prominent.

Apparently Thomas Bean did help the Hawkhurst gang. I've found that he helped them to kidnap the bailiff of the sheriff of Sussex, Gabriel Tompkins, from the Inn. Bean is also said to have helped the smugglers in releasing Thomas Moore who was arrested in Rye for smuggling. Another individual associated with the Hawkhurst gang was William Carter. He was an active member of the Hawkhurst gang, and a smuggler that was a native of Hampshire. Carter was involved in kidnapping Chater and Galley members of the gang, but was then caught for this kidnapping. As a result William Carter was hung and gibbeted in 1747.

The Hawkhurst gang were definitely a force to be reckoned with, and from the sounds of it weren't at all subtle with their wrongdoings. I've read an account which states that they'd sit at the inn with their pistols sitting on the table, and look out over the street. No magistrate would touch them during their prime due to how feared they were. Other locations the gang had connections to were the London Trader Inn, the Flushing Inn, and the Old Bell Inn. It's said that there are secret tunnels connecting beneath the cellar of the Mermaid Inn to the Old Bell Inn. The Old Bell Inn was built during 1390, and lies on a street called The Mint which runs parallel to the north of Mermaid Street. Another secret passage is within the Kingsmill Room. It's sealed up, but passed through the fireplace to the south wing and into the 'Rye Royal' room. The Mermaid Inn's connection with smugglers did all come to an end though after the leader's executions.

The Mermaid Inn stopped functioning as an inn during 1770, and many years later in 1847, Charles Piole bought the inn and turned it into his house. Not at all much is known about Charles Piole aside from he was a merchant, and that he was married to Symantha Blackburn. During 1913 the location then became a club which was owned by May Aldington, the mum of novelist Richard Adlington. Artists loved this club, but during world war II it's purpose changed to be a garrison for Canadian officers. One such officer was M. L. Wilson, and he bought the Mermaid Inn following the war. During the war, on the 18th of August 1940, a bomb bounced in the street which exploded in the air and vibrated the building. This caused one corner to sink and so another secret passage became revealed.

During 1980, Judith Blincow became employed at the Mermaid Inn from the age of 18. She later went on to buy the location during 1993 with Robert Pinwill. Within the Mermaid Inn there are many photos of famous faces who have stayed there. Such people include Johnny Depp, Pierce Brosnan, Charlie Chaplin, and Andy Garcia. Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, even stayed with Prince Edward in 1982 after she was named as Lord Warden of the Conque Ports during 1980. During restorations of the Mermaid Inn, medieval murals have been discovered beneath the black and sooty layers of smoke and nicotine that were on the walls. Some of these murals depict Shakespearian plays and quotes, and so it is suspected that William Shakespeare may have stayed at the Mermaid Inn at one point too. A well has also been discovered beneath a fountain which is within the Mermaid Inn's grounds.

The Mermaid Inn is the only hotel in the medieval citadel of Rye with on site parking, a feature which fits fifteen cars. It also contains thirty one rooms and eleven staircases. There's also only accommodation for sixty guests. The location has also been used for filming, with part of the 1983 film 'Yellowbeard' having been filmed there. Judith does offer guided tours of the location on the last Sunday of everymonth between 4pm and 5pm. These tours are free, but with the request that participants donate something to the National Deaf Children's Society.

Some other rooms which I haven't yet discussed which have some meaning behind the names are the James Room and the Dr Syn Bedchamber. The James Room is named after Charles James who was the mayor of Rye between 1996 and 1998. The Dr Syn Bedchamber is named after the fictional character who was created by the author Russel Thorndike. Dr Syn, the Vicar of Dymchurch, was played by George Arliss in a 1937 film, and then by Patrick McGoohan in the 1960 Walt Disney version. Russel Thorndike frequently visited the Mermaid Inn and was always welcomed by the Gregory family who ran the Inn during the 1950s. Another secret passageway is connected to the Dr Syn Bedchamber. It is hidden behind a bookcase and leads down to the bar.

Hauntings

Due to te Mermaid Inn being so old, it's no surprise that a number of hauntings are said to have occured here. Unlike other locations, the hauntings of the Mermaid Inn are mostly isolated to different rooms rather than ones which cover the entire location. I will go through each room's hauntings and then discuss anything I've found which isn't tied to any particular room afterwards. An interesting detail to the hauntings of the Mermaid Inn is that the owner, Judith Blincow, has apparently claimed to have never witnessed the paranormal activity of the Mermaid Inn; but has heard and seen the reactions of spooked guests. Other accounts, however, say otherwise; claiming that Judith has seen the silhouette of a woman while no one else was around. It's also said by some sources that there are at least five spirits present in the Mermaid Inn, however I have found one source which says this number is at least twelve.

Room 1: The James Room

Within the James Room, it's said that a lady is seen sitting in the chair by the fireplace. Nothing is known about this lady aside from the detail of her wearing either white or grey. Guests have also reported that if they leave their clothes on that chair overnight, then the following morning the clothes will be wet. There are no windows or pipes near the chair to cause this. Apparently a while family of ghosts can also be seen in this room as a man who stayed there reported seeing a mother, father, and child all walk through the wall to the other side of the room as he lay in bed. This is also the room with the oldest bed in the hotel as it dates all the way back to the 1600s.

Room 3: The Moreton Room

This room has no apparitions that I've found information on, but it does have one experience revolving around a man and wife who stayed here. During their stay, the wife went to the bathroom, and while she was in there the man felt something kick him in the back. He was in bed by himself at the time so had no idea what caused the feeling. This was then followed by a sense of well-being which washed over him, and then all strange sensations stopped once his wife returned.

Room 5: The Nutcracker Suite

This room also features a report of a lady in white being seen. She is said to walk through from the single room, across the main room, and then through the door. It's also said that she stops at the foot of the bed in the room for a moment as she makes her way past. I've also read that the lady in white, who is usually in this room, can be seen sitting in a chair by the hotel's main fireplace. This makes me wonder if this is the same lady as who is seen in the James Room.

Room 10: The Fleur De Lys Room

The Fleur De Lys Room has only one experience that I've found. A bank manager and his wife were staying in the room and claim to have seen a man walk through their bathroom wall and across to the centre of the room. They were both so frightened that they fled the room. They spent the night downstairs in one of the lounges and made the porter bring all of their luggage and clothes downstairs.

Room 15: Dr Syn's Bedchamber

Within this room, a film crew has captured orbs moving around the room while they were testing the strength of the light in the room before filming. These orbs were only visible through their equipment. A seance has been held in this room too. A medium led the seance, and Judith, Judith's daughter, and three other friends of Judith's took part. The medium told them that his face and voice would change during the seance, and apparently it did. He then told the group that a lady with a dog had entered the room, and were standing in the corner, and then the psychic invited them to put their arms out and pet the dog. The group did so, and it's said that their arms disappeared into shadow and that they could actually feel something which felt like a dog. I've also read that this room is potentially the most haunted of the rooms.

Room 16: The Elizabethan Bedchamber

The Elizabethan Bedchamber has reports of a duel playing out between two spirits. These spirits are said to wear 16th century clothing and the lower of the fight is thrown down the stairs of the secret passage. Apparently the body lands in what is now the bar, however this passage leading to the bar sounds like the one in the Dr Syn Bedchamber; so either there are two secret passages leading to the bar, or there is some mixup of information regarding either which room the duel occurs in or where the body is disposed. It is said that the fight can flow into other rooms, so perhaps it's possible that it does occur in the Dr Syn Bedchamber too.

The movement of the swords has apparently been captured on camera by a guest, as has the shadow of a figure standing in the corner of the room. This figure not only appeared on what seems to be described as a video recording, but also on photo's which were taken too. The staff have tried to replicate the photo in order to debunk it, but they've failed which has left no obvious cause to the shadow figure in the photos. The silhouettes of people against the closed curtains have also been seen by guests from outside. The guests had checked into the room, left the building for a short while, and then when they returned they saw the shadows and assumed people were somehow in their room. They went into the room and found there had been no one there.

Also in this room, a barman was tending to the fire when all of the bottles on the shelf of the other end of the room suddenly fell. This experience spooked the man so much that it's said he handed in his notice the next day. A maid is also said to haunt this room, and she is thought to be the girlfriend of one of the Hawkhurst smugglers. It's suspected that she knew too much about the smuggler's activities and so was killed in fear of her exposing them.

Some more specific experiences tied to this room include a couple who woke up to see two men fighting in old fashioned clothes in the corner of the room. One man killed the other and his body disappeared, although it is possible that both simply disappeared through the wall. Another guest went to sleep in the room but left his camera running on slow all night. They saw a figure appear on the corner of the video, a light zoom straight down, and then heard the sound of metal on metal.

A seperate guest took three photos of the room and the middle photo showed a figure standing in the corner of the room at 3:15am. I have read elsewhere though that the figure appears at 2:15am for the same experience. There are a couple of accounts saying the figure appears at 3:15am though, one of which was from a doctor who stayed in the room and took photos. These photos showed the figure at that time. Finally, a husband and wife were staying in the room; the wife woke up to see a figure walk through the room. She woke up her husband and he saw it too.

Room 17: The Kingsmill Room

This room has no reports of apparitions, however it is suspected to be haunted by the wife of either George Gray, Thomas Grey, or Arthur Gray, the leader of the Hawkhurst gang. There was a rocking chair in this room which rocked without being touched, and her spirit is possibly thought to be the one rocking it. The rocking chair may bow be in a corridor outside of the room due to guests complaining about it rocking on its own. It's also possible that this woman stands at the foot of the bed, but this could be another muddling up of stories and the rooms they occur in. There was a point in time where the maids wouldn't clean this room alone, and had to clean it in pairs, due to not wanting to be in there alone. Photos of orbs within this room have been sent to the Mermaid Inn by guests who have stayed in this room, and cold spots have also been reported. Guests say that part of the room becomes very hot and at the same time the other part becomes very cold. A rattling sound has also been heard by guests, and some have even heard the door handle rattle at 3.30am.

Room 19: The Hawkhurst Suite

In the Hawkhurst Suite, a man in old-fashioned clothes has been seen sitting on the end of the the bed. An American woman reported seeing him sit there during the night. She also said that the man didn't leave, and so she had to take her mattress into the double room where her sons were sleeping. She stayed in there until the morning. A clairvoyant has visited this room with the owner, Judith Blincow, and she said she could feel a strong personal connection between the owner and the room. It was the only room that contained furniture from Judith's mum many years prior.

General hauntings

It's said that a woman who was apparently the wife of one of the smugglers during the 1500s haunts the Mermaid Inn. There is also a connection between the Mermaid Inn and witchcraft. White witchcraft is believed to have been common in the local area, and so in the restaurant there is a good luck and a bad luck chair beside the fireplace. The bad luck chair is a 17th century wooden chair with a carved effigy of Satan on it. The chair is said to come from a witches coven, and it's said that a young girl who sat in the chair then broke her leg the following day. Throughout the Mermaid Inn, a witches ball hangs within each room. These balls are shiny globes and are said to reflect witches spells, bringing good luck, and warding off unwanted spirits. It's also said that the spirits of Hawkhurst smugglers roam the premises at night, and that a smuggler haunts the cellar. Doors also open and close by themselves.

Summary of Hauntings

1. A man (Room 10)

2. A smuggler's wife

3. A maid - smuggler's girlfriend (Room 16)

4. Chair rocks on its own (was room 17)

5. Bad luck chair

6 Hawkhurst smugglers (premises)

7. Hawkhurst smuggler (cellar)

8. Doors open and close untouched

9. Silhouette of a woman seen by Judith

10. Lady in white (Room 5 and in chair by main fireplace)

11. A duel plays out between two men (Room 16, potentially also other rooms)

12. Silhouttes of people against closed curtains (Room 16)

13. Bottles fall of the shelf (Room 16)

14. Cold spots (Room 17)

15. Hot spots (Room 17)

16. Orbs (Room 17 and room 15)

17. Rattling sounds (door handle and in general)

18. Lady with a dog (Room 15)

19. Man in old-fashioned clothes (Room 19)

20. Personal connection between owner and mothers furniture identified (Room 19)

21. Feeling of being kicked in the back (Room 3)

22. Feeling of well-being (Room 3)

23. Lady in white or grey, sits in the chair by the fireplace (Room 1, the same spirit as room 5?)

24. Clothes become wet when left in a chair overnight (Room 1)

25. A family apparition: mother, father, child (Room 1)

26. A shadow figure, either at 3:15am or 2:15am (Room 16)

My Thoughts

This location, as much as I hate to say it, has tourist trap written all over it; although I am conflicted over that. I don't like how much inconsistency there seems to be, and I don't like how similar certain experiences are to one another which occur in a different room. It made it quite difficult when doing the research because I wouldn't have a clue if I was writing about two different hauntings, or the same haunting. A good example of this is the lady in white. I don't know if there are two lady's in white, or if there is just one who roams a few of the rooms. Also, there could be a lady in white and then a seperate lady in grey. There is then someone who is potentially the wife of a smuggler, but the lady in white was also thought to be this and so these two may be one in the same. Then there is a maid who is potentially the girlfriend of a smuggler, so again, perhaps she is the lady in white too; or perhaps they are all completely seperate hauntings.

The reason why I say the location has tourist trap written all over it is because of the wall of fame it has regarding pictures of celebrities who have visited. Plus it seems odd to me that the owner has apparently said she hasn't experienced anything, yet I've then found she apparently did a seance where she experienced something and walked around with a psychic who seemed to hit the nail on the head with a room. Not to mention the owner has apparently also seen an unexplainable silhouette of a woman.

It's important for me to say the reason why I've included the psychics comments about room 19 in the summary of hauntings. There is no confirmation of this, and it's purely speculation from me, but it seems to me that there is potential for that room to be haunted by the owner's mum. I don't know if her mum is dead, she might not be, but if/when she is, I believe there is ample potential for her to haunt there due to a psychic being able to pick up that it was her furniture. This is the kind of attachment I think could allow for a spirit to haunt a location, even if only for a short period of time.

As for what I think to all of the experiences, it's odd that the running theme for most of them seems like the guests aren't aware of the hauntings. They all sound like typical ghost stories of gaint figures walking through walls which leads to the guests either leaving or remaining where they are, but terrified. I'd be interested to see the photos and videos people have taken here, and I think there really needs to be some clearing up of the facts around exactly who haunts where in the Mermaid Inn.

That brings me to the final point of is it really haunted? I don't see reason why it isn't. It's an extremely old location where many people will have expelled emotional energy. It's interesting because this location reminds me of the Red Lion Pub in Avebury. The reason for this is because of how strong and active these hauntings seem to be, and the most interesting connection between the two locations is the presence of a natural water source. A well is within the Red Lion Pub, and a well has been discovered beneath a fountain on the premises of the Mermaid Inn. Perhaps these natural Wells have played a part in amplifying the hauntings in some way? It will be interesting to see how many other haunted locations around the world have such a feature.

Thank you for reading to the end of this post! A special thank you to Damain, Nicolette, The Cornish Ghost Whisperers, and Kerry for your ongoing support. If you want to follow The True Paranormal you can do so on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), Instagram, and Tumblr. You can also subscribe to The True Paranormal on YouTube, or directly to this website through the bar on the left which will give you email notifications. That bar also lists all of the links which will take you to The True Paranormal's various social media platforms. If you want to contact me about your own experiences, or about anything at all paranormal, you can email thetrueparanormal1@gmail.com

The Sources I Have Used:

1. Mermaid Inn: Hotel

2. Haunted Rooms

3. The Little House Of Horrors

4. Sussex Live

5. Mermaid Inn: History

6. Ghostwalk Brighton

7. Mermaid Inn: Elizabethan Bedchamber

8. Atlas Obscura

9. Good Housekeeping Holidays

10. Mermaid Inn

11. All That's Interesting