Rye Town Walk and Treasure Hunt

This treasure hunt starts from Rye railway station and should take about an hour and a half to complete.  Knowledge of Malcolm Saville's books will be required to answer some of the questions. The questions were set in November 2004 and although care was taken to ensure that the answers were not of a temporary nature, things do change with time.  Have fun.
 
Question 1 Which Saville title heads the information board?
 
Direction Head towards the church and up Market Street.
 
Question 2 What was founded in 1867?
 
  Simon Milne's shop was once a bookshop and may have been the inspiration for Roy Royal's shop in Rye Royal.
 
Direction Turn left in to the High Street.
 
  Malcolm Saville wrote of the Martello Bookshop, 'The second shop is one of the most attractive bookshops I know.  The building boasted a library over 200 years ago and somewhere at the rear of the shop, now thick with books of every taste, there was once a printing press.'
 
Question 3 Where and when do the Rotarians meet?
 
Direction Down Conduit Hill.
 
  Water was pumped up Conduit Hill in elm pipes to the Water House reservoir that we will see later.
 
Question 4 Where might you find 600 Saracen?
 
  Malcolm Saville's grandfather, Rev. Alfred Thomas Saville, had the Congregational Church built in 1892.  This building is now the Rye Community Centre.
 
Direction Turn right in to a poultry place.
 
Question 5 What colour is the square door to number 10?
 
Question 6 When was the Landgate built?
 
  The clock on the Landgate was added in 1863 as a memorial to Prince Albert.  Its striking mechanism broke in 1940 but was repaired in 1981 to celebrate the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana.
 
Direction Climb Hilder's Cliff.
 
Question 7 A lighthouse is graced by which two mythical creatures?
 
Direction Turn and walk the Oriental way.
 
Question 8 What was the C14th plank first used for?
 
Direction At Simon the Pieman, turn toward the church.
 
  Note the Quarter-Boys which only chime the quarters and not the hours.
 
Question 9 Which local curate attended the execution of Mary Queen of Scots?
 
Direction Keep the church on your right but admire the fine Georgian brickwork of the Water House on your left.  Pass to the right of Ypres tower and in to Gungarden.
 
  Gungarden is where Jon, Penny and Mrs Warrender first saw a flying saucer in 'Saucers Over the Moor'.  Start the story here and continue it at the April 2005 Annual Gathering in Exeter and Dartmoor.
 
Question 10 How many cannon balls in the two pyramids?
 
Direction Go through the arch and turn left.
 
Question 11. At which house number did Mr Rawlings work?
 
Question 12. Who is beseeched not to call?
 
  The Hope Anchor Hotel was a favourite watering hole of Malcolm Saville and its location inspired the Gay Dolphin.
 
Direction Lean against Penny's wall opposite the Hope Anchor before descending Trader's Passage.
 
Question 13 Where can you find RX157 and RX71?
 
Direction Turn left in to the Strand.
 
Question 14. What have a stag, a swan, a viper, and an eagle got in common with a greyhound?
 
Direction Climb Mermaid Street.
 
Question 15. Where was the hospital in the 15th Century?
 
  The Mermaid Hotel inspired the architecture of the Gay Dolphin.  Compare the inn sign with the dolphin shown on the map in The Gay Dolphin Adventure.
 
Direction Down West Street.
 
Question 16. Which famous person sailed on No 17?
 
Direction Turn left in to the Mint.
 
  In medieval times coins or trading tokens were minted in Rye.
 
Question 17. Where does Aunt Bridget have sister premises in Rye?
 
Direction Turn down the passage next to the Standard.
 
Question 18. What is the West Wight connection?
 
Direction Cross the old town wall and turn right in to Cinque Ports Street.
 
Question 19. How might Mr Jillions have designs on your body?
 
Direction Left in to the Station Approach.
 
Question 20. Where did the Rev. W Audry have a weighty influence?
 

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