Jeake's House, the 17th-century hostelry in Mermaid Street, has won a coveted Good Hotel Guide award.
This fascinating building with its long and intriguing history has hosted many famous visitors including writers EF Benson, TS Eliot, Malcolm Lowry, John Burke and Radclyffe Hall.
Built in the 17th century, it occupies a prominent position on Mermaid Street, arguably Rye's most famous cobbled street, with views over the red rooftops of Rye to the green hills beyond.
Samuel Jeake, a successful merchant, was a strict Puritan who sought God’s guidance on every detail of his life but incongruously, he also believed in astrology: "At mid-day on June 13, 1689 the foundation of this warehouse were layed, the heavenly bodies being in these positions."
Now a single property, the buildings that make up Jeake’s House have been a wool store, a school, a chapel, and the Baptist minister's residence.
Some see Jeake's House as quirky and it seems the Good Hotel Guide doesn't disagree which is why the Editor's Choice for 2023 has awarded Jeake's House the title of quirky. Its owners, Jenny Hadfield and Richard Martin, are delighted to have been recognised by the Good Hotel Guide and in Jenny's own words:
"My heart sank when I opened the front door of Jeake’s House in 1985. Utter dereliction and despair lay before me. Our children were still very young and were horrified to find that they woke up with frost on their eyelashes! ’Quirky’ is not a word we have used about Jeake’s, however, the Good Hotel Guide is the only true consumer guide (unpaid) in the country so perhaps we should believe it! Thank you very much for this award."
Why not judge Jeake's House for yourself? Contact Jenny or Richard on 01797 222828 or email the hotel on stay@jeakeshouse.com or take a look on their website www.jeakeshouse.com.
