Rye street the ‘perfect inspiration’ for new children’s book

The author of a new fantasy book about a boy with magical powers said that Mermaid Street in Rye served as the main inspiration for the setting.

Cat Gray, author of Spellstoppers, revealed she had a picture of Mermaid Street while writing the book.

She said: “Mermaid Street has so much personality, with its steeply sloping cobbled street, and those things found their way into Yowling, the seaside village where the book is set.

“It’s mainly in the way there are so many different styles of houses, sitting alongside each other. I love how you get the sense of how Mermaid Street evolved over time through the houses - they’re so wonderfully irregular and characterful.

Cat Gray, author of Spellstoppers, revealed that she had a picture of Mermaid Street while writing the book.

"It’s such a remarkable atmosphere that it seemed like the perfect inspiration for a magical seaside village - I actually had a picture of Mermaid Street as the background image on my laptop while I was writing Spellstoppers.

"I love Rye - it’s got such a rich history and I love that it was once a port town but slowly made its way inland. I still can’t get my head around it, it seems very magical to me! My husband and I are trying to buy a house in Sussex so I’m hoping that I’ll be able to visit Rye more often. It’s a very special part of the world.”

The book has received praise from children’s fiction author Sarah Webb. She said: “Spellstoppers has all the elements of a terrific children’s fantasy – excellent characters, incredible storytelling and a plot involving a boy who has the gift to stop magical spells.”

Spellstoppers is out in book stores now.