You do not need
to stray from public footpaths. Please respect your surroundings as
this is within a SSSI.
Deal was once
a renowned hive of shipping activity. In Deal's shipping heyday the
town had a notorious reputation as a smuggling haven. In the
eighteenth century local sailors who were known as the 'Deal
Boatmen' had reputations both as the most able seamen with strong
backs and strength in the water to match no other and according to
one writer of the time smuggling had: “converted those
employed in it, first from honest industrious fishermen, to lazy,
drunken and profligate smugglers.”
An anonymous
correspondent of The Times in 1866 probably gave the most accurate
assessment of the Deal boatmen’s character. ‘The Deal
boatmen are as fine a set of men in their speciality as an be found
anywhere, and are entitled to any praise that may be given them,
but their faults are as patent as their virtues. They are at once
the most hardworking and the laziest set of men. They would
sacrifice anything to save a life, and they think anyone fair game
of whom they can make a shilling. They are generous, hearty and
loyal, and the most determined smugglers when they have the chance.
They would wreck a ship and risk their lives to save one with equal
readiness.’
The Times, 23
Oct 1866 p9
The Deal
Boatmen constructed fast sailing boats called 'Guinea Boats',
'Luggers' or 'Deal Galley-Punts. They would conceal contraband in
false keels and hollow masts. Deal's long flat beach and the quick
access to the narrow and winding lanes of middle street and beach
street allowed the Smuggler's quick hides enabling them stash their
illicit cargo safely away.
Cargo for
trade with France included Wool and English Gold, even the
occasional French prisoner of war made their escape by way of the
Deal Smugglers. The smugglers of course carried out the same
service to English prisoners of war stranded on the continent but
would also make profitable resale of Spirits and Liqueur purchased
for a sixth of the resale price in England.
Prime Minister
William Pitt mounted several attempts to stop smuggling in Deal.
One of several raids on the Smugglers was made in 1785 when Pitt
ordered the 13th Light Dragoons to set alight the entire fleet of
Deal luggers which had been pulled up the shore above the high
water line.
Despite this
smuggling still continued as the Deal Boatmen were also required as
pilots for the royal fleet and as early lifeboat men to rescue
ships and sailors wrecked on the Goodwin Sands.
This is only a
brief description of their exploits and much more can be found
within local history books and with a quick search on the
web.
To find the
key and the instructions to find the cache you need to solve the
following puzzle. Once solved you will be able to use those
coordinates to find a container with a key. This will include
instructions on how to find the Smuggler's Treasure. You will need
to solve another quick puzzle using the already calculated
coordinates.Something to take notes and or calculations may be
needed at the key site. Please replace the key in the container as
soon as you have completed the cache.
Key Location
Puzzle
All of the cache coordinates
begin N51 and E001
North coordinates
1E,1E 1S.2S 2W, 3N 1E, 2E
East coordinates
2E, 2S. 1S 1W, 1N 1W, 3E 1S.
You can use the checker
below to check your coordinates.Please remember to only place gold
and silver coloured items in the cache. At the time of placing the
cache contained a medal for the FTF and a small collection of
silver and gold items. Congratulations to MeerRescue who claimed
another FTF medal
Cache placed
with the kind permission of Natural England.