Usually full of people wandering tentatively on the cobbles or stopping to photograph what is often described as one of Britain’s most Instagram-able streets, Mermaid Street, on Wednesday 9 September, was instead closed with several tarmacking trucks obscuring the view. The cause: the driveway to the garages and the Rye Zone Youth Club was being resurfaced.
By the end of the day, the job had been completed and the way clear for pedestrians and cars. However, the view of the famous street will, for a while, continue to be less than perfect as four of the street’s famous houses are covered in scaffolding being painted and maintained, all at the same time.
Image Credits: Juliet Duff .
Rachael Chibaga and Matthew Colley, respectively of Balfour Beatty and Steadline, must be thanked for their considerable investment in time and finance on this project. Not only has the resurfacing greatly improved access to the Youth Club premises and to the garages (the rental of which helps sustain Rye and District Youth Club), it’s enhanced enormously the appearance of a heritage building on Rye’s most famous street. The patience of garage-owners and local businesses should also be noted.