Secret Sussex.

Secret Sussex

Smuggling Sussex

Five and twenty ponies, Trotting through the dark—Brandy for the Parson, Baccy for the Clerk. They ask no questions are not told a lie—Watch the wall, my darling, while the Gentlemen go by!
Rudyard Kipling.

A view of smuggling as seen around the turn of the 20th century, expressed by writers of the time often taken and quoted from much earlier writers,
Charles Lamb wrote “I like a smuggler”,” He is the only honest thief.”

As an example of the “respectability” of the smugglers, friends, Alexander Pope, in 1717,writes to John Caryll, a. Sussex squire; “I beg to do me a familiar or rather domestic piece of service. It is, when a hogshead of good French wine falls into your hands-whether out of the skies, or whatever element that pays no customs-that you would favour me with about twelve dozen of it at the price you give,”

Many churchyards in and around Sussex ports bear witness to the constant warfare between the custom men (revenue officers) and the smugglers, they were a mere handfall, but were very brave men, trying to do an almost impossible job. In the churchyard of All Saints, Hastings, is the epitaph of a smuggler, he was shot at sea by a revenue officer. “May it be known, tho, I am clay, a base man took my life away; but freely him I do forgive and hope in heaven we shall live.”

Places of Interest.


Beachy Head is the highest cliff in the South of England, it is very impressive from below as it falls sheer to the beach. The name Beachy has nothing to do with the beach; it is in fact a corruption of Beau Chef.

Belle Tout, The old lighthouse was built in 1831,the great height of the light was an advantage in good weather, but in poor conditions was often a problem to navigators as low cloud would make it become obscured .The lighthouse was built by Jack Fuller, a strange Sussex squire who lies under his pyramid in Brightling churchyard.
Before either of the lighthouses were built there existed, Parson Darby’s Hole, a cave reached by means of steps. There is a lot of uncertainty as to its true purpose. It has been variously suggested that it was built to provide a refuge for shipwrecked sailors, a primitive lighthouse to guild ships, and even a lookout to guide smugglers and keep them informed when the coast was clear.

R.Gunner