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Submitted on Monday, 5th September 2016
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Detail Pages
The Ypres Castle Inn, Rye Town, Rye
Rye
TN31 7HH
Served areas
Reviews of The Ypres Castle Inn (Average Rating: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
. Wittenden left this review about The Ypres Castle Inn
A weather- boarded pub on the terraced slopes of Rye Citadel below the eponymous Castle.My previous visits were back in the seventies and eighties,when it sold Fremlins and boasted a parrot and a grumpy Landlord. Since late last year,it has been under the ownership of Jeffrey Bell, aka 'Stonch', the original Beer Blogger.
On our visit at lunchtime on a grey March Saturday we found a pub busy with drinkers and diners, and a good number of dogs, including our own.My memory for interior decoration isn't perfect,but it looks as if it has had a tasteful lick of paint since John Bonser's visit.We sat in a little side room behind the bar,decorated with local views.
On the bar were 6 hand pumps, two selling Kent Ciders.Of the cask beers,all from Kent or Sussex,we enjoyed an excellent Black Pale Ale from Rother Valley and a moreish hop forward session pale from Old Dairy.Craft keg beers are also offered,together with artisanal gins and whiskies.The meals, equally seemed to favour local sourcing-scallops were on the specials list- and were competitively priced for the location.
The grim weather attracted few customers into the impressive gardens, with views over the lower reaches of the town and across the marshes:however on a sunny day they would be packed.Yes,good pub.
On 11th March 2018
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 225 recommendations about 224 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
John Bonser left this review about The Ypres Castle Inn
In the historic town of Rye, virtually next door to the ancient monument of Ypres Tower – “Gun Garden” is part of the pub’s official address – is The Ypres Castle Inn, a pub which advertises its attractions as “Real Ales, Great Food, Proper Coffee, Good Company”, of which, following my recent April visit, I can confirm the quality of the first of these.
Along a path and down a few steps from the tower, the Ypres Castle Inn ( known locally as The Wipers ) features a Kentish style weatherboarded frontage which leads into a single bar pub that has evidently been recently refurbished in the usual contemporary light and airy style, dominated by a rather unattractive nasty lightish blue colour scheme, which includes the window ledges and bar counter. There’s a rather cold and clinical feel to the pub that one often encounters nowadays and which in my view is totally inappropriate for a pub in an ancient historic town such as Rye. Candles in glass vases would suggest a food emphasis, but this was not apparent on my visit. A room round the back of the bar has several old photos of the pub in earlier days when it was owned by Leveys of Dover and then, later, Whitbread, but it’s a rather dull and uninteresting interior.
The pub’s principal asset is its outside garden, which affords fine views of Romney Marshes, and the “salts” by the River Rother, which the pub overlooks. This is apparently the only decent pub garden in Rye and is well patronised by staff from local businesses in summer time. On my visit, an overcast day with a bracing fresh wind meant that the garden was deserted and, inside, there was two people, including myself.
Live music features on Friday and Sunday nights and several posters told me that a band called Cushty were appearing on the forthcoming Friday at 9.30pm ( dinner hours were 6-8 pm )
Beers on were Harveys ( is there a pub in Sussex that doesn’t do Harveys ?) , Adnams, Longman, Larkins and Old Dairy. The Longmans Blonde - £ 3.60p – was pretty good.
The friendly landlord, who had initially seemed a bit disconcerted to see someone walk into his pub at around 4pm, told me ( well there was no one else to tell ) that he had taken over the reins as recently as January and was still very much finding his feet on all aspects of the business.
Rye has a number of pubs that seem worth exploring, but time was not on my side. Next time in Rye, I’d probably only do this one again if it was a decent sunny day
On 11th May 2014
- rating: 6
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Manky Badger left this review about The Ypres Castle Inn
The place didn't seem anywhere near as busy as you'd expect it to be on bonfire parade night. Which probably speaks volumes. I'll put the place back to 6/10 (until I'm personally insulted by the landlord)
On 15th November 2009
- rating: 6
[User has posted 155 recommendations about 154 pubs]
View more reviews of The Ypres Castle Inn (4)
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Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Beer Garden : Yes last updated 10 March 2018 by . Wittenden
- Child Friendly : Yes last updated 10 March 2018 by . Wittenden
- Dog Friendly : Yes last updated 10 March 2018 by . Wittenden
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 10 March 2018 by . Wittenden
- Live Music : Yes last updated 10 March 2018 by . Wittenden
- Live TV Sports : Yes last updated 10 March 2018 by . Wittenden
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 29 July 2013 by Dave McNally
- Real Cider : Yes last updated 10 March 2018 by . Wittenden
| Sunday | 12noon - 11pm |
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | 12noon - 11pm |
| Wednesday | 12noon - 11pm |
| Thursday | 12noon - 11pm |
| Friday | 12noon - 11pm |
| Saturday | 12noon - 11pm |
Last inspected: February 16th 2018
