The Mermaid Inn is a medieval inn on Mermaid Street with cellars dating to 1156 and the main building rebuilt in 1420, later tied in local history to Rye’s smuggling era and the Hawkhurst Gang (1730s–1740s). Haunting reports are often room-specific: Room 17 “Kingsmill” is linked to smuggler Thomas Kingsmill and sightings around a rocking-chair area, while Room 5 “James” is associated with a Grey/White Lady near the fireplace. Room 16 is repeatedly linked in folklore to a duel where a man was killed and allegedly dropped through a trapdoor into the cellar, alongside ongoing guest claims of footsteps, knocks, and late-night disturbances.