History
Durrant House is a spacious Georgian residence standing at the end of Market Street in the centre of 13th century Rye which possesses its own unique character and charm.
The age of Durrant House is unknown but the cellars over which it is built and which extend under most of the buildings in Market Street probably date back over 1,000 years. In later years, when smuggling was rife in the marshes, Rye was one of the main centres for smuggling and base for the notorious Hawkhurst Gang. It is said that contraband was stored in the labyrinth of cellars and passageways that connected the buildings on Market Street, including Durrant House. The cellars still exist but the connecting passageways are sealed. John Wesley stayed at the house during his evangelical tours in the area. He obviously did not share the local gentry's tolerance of smuggling stating that "Ryers do many things gladly, but they will not part with the accursed smuggling".
It is assumed that being a large house situated in the centre of Rye that Durrant House was built for a well-to-do family. It would have been built sometime in 1377, the year the French burnt the town to the ground apart from a few stone built buildings. The timber framing of the main part of the building has been dated to the late 1400's and the front of the building is a Georgian addition added, no doubt, to give a more impressive appearance. An interesting feature is a historic "knee" beam that supports the roof of Room 5 the Armada Room, this reputedly came from a galleon of the Spanish Armada wrecked in Rye bay.
The house was purchased in the late eighteenth century by Sir William Durrant, after whom the house is named. He was a friend of Arthur Wellesley, later the Duke of Wellington. It is said that when the Duke was based in Hastings in 1806, as Commander of the Cinque Ports, he visited and stayed with Sir William at Durrant House.
On Sir William's death the property passed into the hands of his daughter, then to his grand-daughter. During this time it was used as a school "for the education and training of the daughters of gentlemen".
Together with many other buildings in Rye Durrant House was vacated during the Second World War. The empty building was on occasions used to billet soldiers. It was eventually converted into a hotel in the early 1950's and at that time had ten letting bedrooms none of which were en-suite. There was, however, one bathroom for the use of guests if needed.
Although Rye is reputedly one of the most haunted towns in the country Durrant House, despite it's age and creaky floorboards cannot lay claim to a ghost.
