Our New Exhibition - The Smugglers

Ever since monarchs and governments across the world needed funding, taxation was applied by them to items in popular demand. In the UK; Salt, tea, lace, glass, brandy, gin and other luxuries, such as wool, were publicly unpopular targets.

Smuggling across borders became “meat and drink” to a clandestine world. Here we give an introduction to UK coastal smuggling up to the mid 19th century.

Displayed alongside early 19th century UK coastal craft of the type used by smugglers of the day, will be memorabilia and relics that smugglers and their pursuers - the revenue - would have used, been seen with or be familiar with.

Smugglers Landing beach Scene

We have a display based on the painting by George Morland called 'Smugglers Beach Landing' which contains two boats of the type used by smugglers. A Clovelly picarooner and a Bucks Mills ledge boat.

The Wheel Inn

Here we see the inside of a pub scene, with a man bringing goods up from or down to a cellar below which would be then hidden under a table that would be placed over the removable slate floor slab, with the local smuggler seated planning his run.

The Gun Deck

On the upper deck we have a replication of an eighteenth century gun deck, and a view of the cabins of various trades that operated aboard. From the shipwright to gunner, sailmaker and rigger.

Smugglers Cave

Where we display various paintings, characterture engravings, postcards from nineteenth and early twentieth century, customs and excise notes and acts of parliament and sea charts.

All admission costs or donations recieved are greatly appreciated and are used to fund our charity:
EISCA