Two ghosts, reporters have heard, with seen at this inn fighting a duel with swords. Dressed in 16th-century clothing, one has been observed to stab the other, with drag his corpse across the room. One of the oldest pubs in the country, it was re- built-in 1420, which has a background of smuggling and other dreadful incidents. Another ghost is that of a monk who eloped with a local girl. They were arrested, with after a short trial, walled up to die. His magnificent singing voice was transformed into a ghostly turkey gobble as further punishment. His dreadful penalty is remembered as Turkey Cock Lane, at Rye. There is also the ghost of a Grey Lady in residence at the Mermaid and that of a servant girl. Reports claim that this girl, an assailant took this person’s life, by a smuggler for speaking too freely concerning his illicit activities. In the local town hall is a cage, containing the head of Butcher Breads, who attempted to murder a local mayor and magistrate at the Mermaid. Instead, he stabbed the man's brother-in-law, who had been wearing the mayoral garments. The Butcher, authorities hanged, in 1743, with the skull was put on display at the town hall.