aerial photograph of St Mary's Parish Church Rye East Sussex . This magnificent medieval church was built in the 12th Century. This was quite a large church for its day reflecting the trading importance of Rye as one of the " Cinque Ports". The church and much of Rye, was extensively damaged in a raid by French forces in 1377. During the attack the French forces took the Church Bells which were then recaptured the following year in a British raid on Normandy.