Smuggling in Dorset

Take a walk in one of Dorset’s sheltered coves or along the coast path, on a day when the mist swirls in from the sea; or in the dead of night when the clouds scud across the sky momentarily revealing rocky outlines in the moonlight; and it’s easy to imagine you can see a ship waiting quietly at sea for a signal, or hear the hushed voices and stealthy footsteps of smugglers. Dorset’s coastline was once a hive of activity for smugglers and their illicit trade. The hedges, ditches, coastal cottages, heathland and beaches would all have once provided ideal hiding places for their contraband, and local Churchyards bear witness to this history with the graves of many smugglers and their relatives.

Popular contraband included tea, tobacco and spirits. The fascinating book Dorset Smugglers by Roger Guttridge describes some of the ingenious ways tea and tobacco was smuggled into Dorset in the 18th century:
Tea cases were fitted between the vessel's timbers and were made to resemble the floors of the ship.
18lbs of tea could be hidden under the cape or petticoat trouser worn by the fishermen and pilots of the vessels.

Cotton bags made into the shape of the crown of a hat, a cotton waistcoat, and a cotton bustle and thigh pieces carried in all 30lbs. of tea.

Tobacco was made into ropes of two strands, it was coiled with the real rope in the lugger, and was even put into a special compartment in casks of imported bones which were used for manufacturing glue.
The wooden fenders slung over the sides of a ship were hollowed out and filled with tobacco.

Dorset’s smugglers included many colourful characters, including the notorious Sir Isaac Gulliver (1745 – 1822) who had up to 50 men working for him (the White Wigs) and who amassed a large fortune and bought property and land with his spoils. You can read more about Isaac Gulliver here.

See this website to find out more about smuggling in West Bay.

Chesil Beach Lodge is on the Coast Road between West Bay and Abbotsbury, with direct access to the South West Coast Path and Chesil Beach, and we’re perfectly located as a base to explore Dorset’s fascinating maritime and social history and heritage. Our accommodation has spectacular sea views from every room and we can guarantee you a very warm welcome. Please contact us to book unique sustainable accommodation in Dorset – we very much look forward to seeing you here.