2026 marks the 50th anniversary of the completion of the Rye town model. A new display at the Rye Heritage Centre describes how the model came about, in Joy Harland’s own words, and uses old posters to document the model’s various homes.
Created by Joy and Ted Harland in the 1970s, the town model moved around different buildings in the town before Rye Town Council bought it in the early 1980s. It was installed in its current home on Strand Quay in the 1990s where it operated alongside the Tourist Information Office. Following its proposed closure in 2019, a group of local residents formed a charity to take over the model.
The model is a 1/100 scale version of Rye as it was in the mid-1800s and tells the story of the town in a 17-minute light and sound show, The Story of Rye. It is hard to explain the experience in words but the most common reaction from visitors on being introduced to the model show is, “Oh wow!”
Whilst keeping the essence of the model as Joy and Ted intended, the talented volunteers from the Rye Heritage Centre charity continue to update and improve the visitor experience. The 50-year-old lighting has been replaced with LED lighting, making the buildings and the details far more visible.
Cutting edge computer software has enabled different shows to be produced. Currently these are Rye After Dark, documenting Rye’s supernatural history and World War II – Rye’s Story documenting Rye residents’ experiences during the Second World War. More are on their way.
Starting to operate as a charity when the pandemic hit has made it an uphill task to keep the Rye Heritage Centre open, but fortunately numbers, particularly of groups, are beginning to return to pre-Covid levels and the Heritage Centre is now able to begin work on improving the display areas.
The Rye town model is not just for visitors, as many locals come time and time again. If you haven’t seen it yet you really should. Tickets can be booked via the website or on the door.
Most importantly, staying open for the community and its all important tourists depends entirely on volunteers. If you would like to consider volunteering, there will be a volunteer open day on Sunday 29 March.
Image Credits: Kt bruce , Juliet Duff .