The Dorset coastline is famous for a number of reasons: the views, the stunning marine life, the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site with its 185 million years’ worth of history.
But its more modern history gives Dorset another interesting tale to tell. Many people are familiar with England’s smuggling heritage. Along the south-west coast of England throughout the 18th and 19th centuries smuggling really took off and traces of it still remain today.
In Dorset the Purbeck coastline was a focal point in the smugglers’ trading route. The coastline is dappled with coves and bays and its high cliffs made it secretive enough for smugglers to sneak down to the shore in the middle of the night. This part of England had the added benefit of being a mining hotspot, meaning open caves were easy to access and there was a network of tunnels in the cliffs. The waters were always buzzing with boats: some transporting mining materials, and others bringing goods across from France and other countries.
The smugglers would walk down to the shoreline to see what they could get their hands on. Studland Bay was a particular favourite because, with its sandy bottom, it was a safe bay for the men and the boats to use. Their smuggled goods would make it to the markets of Poole and further east to be sold.
Dancing Ledge (pictured above) is just a short distance from Langton House – about a 30 minute walk away and it was another key location at the time. It’s a really interesting rock platform where goods were landed before being carried up over the hill to Spyways Farm and then on to the church at Langton Matravers, which is the closest village to Langton House!
At Worth Matravers (10 minutes from Langton House) you can join an enjoyable 3-mile circular walking route along the Smugglers’ Way. You’ll be led to Winspit Quarry and along the South West Coast Path to Seacombe. It was once a popular route walked by the smugglers themselves. You can download the leaflet here if you want to try it out.
Further along the South West Coast Path you’ll see the Tilly Whim Caves which are three disused limestone quarries located close to Anvil Point Lighthouse. Though the caves are no longer accessible to the public for safety reasons, their tunnels and galleries still stretch far back into the rock of the Purbeck cliff face. As you're walking the coast path they're certainly an impressive sight!
