The Smugglers’ Ghosts of Rottingdean

The village of Rottingdean on the Sussex coast was once a notorious smuggling center. In the 18th century, contraband from France passed through its streets and tunnels. The smugglers are long dead, but their spirits reportedly remain, still guarding their old routes.

The Smuggling Trade

During the 18th century, Rottingdean was a major center for smuggling. Tea, brandy, silk, and other goods came ashore on the beach and were transported inland through tunnels and hidden paths. The entire village was complicit; the vicar stored contraband in the church.

The Tunnels

Rottingdean’s smuggling tunnels ran from the beach to various buildings in the village. Some have been rediscovered; others remain hidden. Strange sounds and lights have been reported in the known tunnels, and unexplained phenomena occur in buildings connected to the tunnel system.

The Ghost of Jack Upperton

Jack Upperton was a notorious local smuggler who was killed in a confrontation with revenue men. His ghost has been seen on the beach and in the village streets, still carrying the goods he transported in life. He appears as a shadowy figure moving purposefully in the darkness.

The Revenue Men

The excise officers who tried to stop the smugglers also appear as ghosts. They have been seen searching the cliffs and village as if still hunting contraband. Their presence creates an eternal confrontation between law and lawlessness.

The Atmosphere

Visitors to Rottingdean often comment on its unusual atmosphere, particularly at night. The sense of secret activity, of things hidden and paths unseen, persists centuries after the smuggling trade ended.

Assessment

Rottingdean’s smuggling history has left a supernatural legacy. The intense emotions of the illicit trade, the violence, the fear, and the profit have impressed themselves on the landscape in ways that persist to the present.