England · Restored
Ypres Tower
Rye Castle, commonly called Ypres Tower, is a three-storey medieval tower-house in Rye, East Sussex, built in the 13th–14th centuries and now a Grade I listed building and museum. The stone fortress has round towers at each corner and historically served defensive and municipal functions, later being used as a prison. It was damaged in World War II and subsequently repaired and restored.
First raised
1249
Its prime
1400
Today
Restored
As it stood in 1400
What Ypres Tower looked like in its prime.
Square-plan, three-storey fortress of iron-stained sandstone with a round tower at each corner; walls of irregular coursed stone with small vertically oriented slit windows and a few larger iron-grilled openings. The north-facing entrance is an arched doorway framed to accept a portcullis. The tower tops present a low parapet and walk around the roofline. The building sits immediately beside the harbour channel with boats and quays close behind.
Its story
The story of Ypres Tower.
Baddings Tower and the Cinque Ports, 1226–14th century
The exact date of construction is unclear: documents from 1226 and 1249 raise the possibility of a castle at Rye, and Henry III of England is credited with commissioning a tower there. It was originally known as Baddings Tower. In 1329 murage was sought to fund fortification, and building work continued through the 14th century, both before and after French attacks on the town. Rye became one of the Cinque Ports, involved in both defence and trade.
Prison Under the Ypres Name, 1430–1891
The castle may have been used as a prison, and in 1430 it passed into the hands of John de Iprys, whose name became attached to the building as the Ypres Tower. By the 16th century it combined the roles of prison and courthouse; a full-time gaoler was appointed in 1796, an exercise yard was added, and a women's wing followed in 1837. The prison function continued until 1891, after which the tower became the town's morgue.
The Gun Garden Against the Armada, 1540s–1830
Under Henry VIII's Device Fort programme, an artillery battery known as the Gun Garden was built beside the tower, overlooking the harbour. It was rearmed at the time of the Spanish Armada in 1588, and again during the 18th-century wars with France; as late as 1830 it remained in active service, mounting eighteen guns.
Scheduled Status and Wartime Damage, 1923–1951
The tower was scheduled as an ancient monument in 1923. It was damaged in air raids during the Second World War and has since been repaired and restored. Listed Grade I in 1951, it now forms one of two sites of Rye Castle Museum, displaying locally made medieval pottery, an embroidery depicting the town's history, and other medieval finds.
Step inside
6 places to explore in 1400.
The record describes 6 distinct spots at Ypres Tower, including 2 interiors: gate passage beneath the portcullis, barred window of a ground-floor cell. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.
Build Your Own Castle
Recreate Ypres Tower with AI to explore it.
The artist rebuilds it as it stood in 1400, a photoreal reconstruction that belongs to you alone. Pay with coins, no subscription needed.
Recreate this castle →Defend this castle →Nearby
