Galley Hill is deep in the heart of smuggler country. The Bull Inn
at Bulverhythe (by the 'Pirates Ahoy' cache) was THE place to plan
your smuggling activities and acted as the Job Centre for smuggler
recruitment in both Bexhill and Hastings. The coast here was remote
and desolate, and the only habitation was the occasional lonely inn
and the Martello Towers, erected in the 1800s, initially to keep a
look-out for Napoleon's forces, but later a useful base in the
fight against smugglers.
The smugglers were very popular locally. People were no happier
paying taxes then than they are today and the proceeds of smuggling
brought income into the impoverished countryside. On this trail,
however, we're going to follow the events of one fateful night -
Friday, 3rd. January 1828
Galley Hill was the site of Martello Tower number 44, built
around 1808, on part of the headland now destroyed by coastal
erosion. As the threat from Napoleon receded, the Martello Towers
were used by the Coast Blockade - the forerunner of the Coastguard
- to try to control the smuggling that was rife in the coastal
towns.
There were two other Martello Towers nearby, the only other
constructions on Bexhill beach at that time. One stood where the de
la Warr pavilion stands today, and another stood near the current
Marina / Sailing Club. It was from this Tower that a pistol shot
rang out at 1 am that fateful night: the watchmen there had seen
smugglers unloading goods from a French boat anchored just off the
coast and raised the alarm. The Coast Blockade officers garrisoned
on Galley Hill rushed out to challenge them.
Thus began the series of events that was to lead to death and
transportation, in the 'Battle of Sidley Green'
NB: IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE... There's a 'Smugglers Trail'
noticeboard beside the Coastguard House - we will be following part
of the Bexhill Smugglers Trail that's signposted throughout the
town. Bexhill Museum has some excellent resources and archives and
The 'Discover Bexhill' website is also very good.
The other caches that contain clues for the Bonus cache
are:
Clue B = 'Bexhill Smugglers 2 - The Race Is On' (GC22D45)
Clue C = 'Bexhill Smugglers 3 - Sea Road Rout' (GC228DF)
Clue D = 'Bexhill Smugglers 4 - Soldiers' Graves?' (GC219Y2)
Clue E = 'Bexhill Smugglers 5 - Gathering Forces' (GC22DB3)
Clue F = 'Bexhill Smugglers 6 - The Battle of Sidley Green'
(GC22DB8)
The bonus cache is a walk of just over 1/2 mile away from the
6th cache
DON'T FORGET TO NOTE CLUE A before you leave this cache
