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[Ypres Tower, Rye.] 42.[Ypres Tower is the oldest secular building in the Cinque Ports, with the exception of Dover Castle. At the time of its erection by William de Ypres, Earl of Kent, in the twelfth century, it was the only protection of the town, the walls and gateways being of a later date. The Tower was the last retreat of the people of Rye on the many occassions when the French sacked the town. Built on the summit of a rock rising sheer out of the sea, it was of great strength as a fortress. It is built of sandstone, with four circular turrets, of two stories and a basement. From the corners of each room massive iron-studded doors lead to the towers, the walls of which are four feet thick. For some two hundred years the tower was in use as a prison; to-day it stands as a picturesque reminder of the long history of the small town.]