Birchingtons Bay's #1 Traditional Cache

Birchington is the largest village in Kent. Birchington has four seaside bay’s associated with it, the most well known is Minnis Bay. The other three bays are Grenham Bay, Beresford Gap and Epple Bay.

These caches are based on Molly the Geohound's local walks.

Epple Bay

Epple Bay has a long history of use, either by bathers or smugglers.

Smuggling was rife on the North Kent Coast, as it was easy access to the English Channel and France.

Epple bay is one of those places used by smugglers to land their contraband. There were tunnels leading away from the beach to properties in land. If you look directly inland from the top of the cliff you can see the rear of a very tall building in the distance, this was built in 1856 and one of these tunnels were found earlier this century.

There was no recognisable coastguard as such until 1822 when they decided to amalgamate the Preventative Water Guard and Riding Officers (locally from Sandwich). That had been protecting our coastline.

Coastguard cottages were then built on the cliff tops around Epple Bay, the site of the coastguard cottages in 1919 was at the top of the steps leading down to the bay. The cottages have gone know but the steps still remain today.

You are looking for something one of the smugglers may have dropped.( Bring tweezers)