Left - 'Smugglers' an etching by J.A.Atkinson from 1808

In 1667, 80 years later, John Oglivy's special survey of roads for Charles II mentions the 'Saltdean Hills' between Newhaven and Rottingdean and the dip in the land and cliffs in Saltdean that would be ideal for smugglers. Budgens 1724 map also has an early reference to Saltdean Gap

Left - A watercolour of 1827 entitled 'Shipwreck at Rottingdean' is thought to be the earliest example of a painting of the Saltdean cliffs in which you can see the direct access to the beach - an attraction for smugglers at the time.

The divide between East and West Saltdean can be traced back centuries when Sussex was divided into the rapes of Arundel, Bramber, Lewes, Pevensey and Arundel - each containing a harbour and a market. Lewes rape was further divided into hundreds, of which one was Youngsmere - Falmer, Ovingdean and Rottingdean, and another was Holmstow - Newhaven, Piddinghoe, Southease, Telscombe and Rodmell. The greater part of the Saltdean area lay in the Parish of Rottingdean.

Storms meant many vessels were wrecked on the nearby coast. Even as late as 1957 three Danes who attempted to journey to Africa were forced to try and reach land at Saltdean, the captain assuming he had reached Portsmouth. On attempting to land, two crewmen were washed out to sea and perished. During the frequent wars with France, privateers chased fishing and other boats, attached themselves capturing fast sailing cruisers. However, it was also an area where French prisoners would frequently attempt to escape back to France. On the 1st September 1760, a light horsemen saw six French prisoners trying to launch a boat to France at Saltdean, where three escaped and three were taken back to Brighthelmston.

Left - An illustration from the 'Seamen's Recorder' showing the hoist used to rescue the sole survivor of The Brazen on 26 January 1800

For over 600 years Sussex was notorious centre of smuggling with many notorious gangs operating. One of the biggest exports was wool. At the end of the 14th century licences were only given to wool exporters with a heavy duty due to the Crown. So great was the loss of revenue revenue cutters patrolled the coast from 1680 and 'riding officers' guarded the beaches from 1668. In the 1740's incidents of smuggling considerably increased and only the wars in France in 1793 bought 'owling' - wool smuggling - to an end. One notorious 'owler' was Thomas Green from Rottingdean who transported much wool fleece to Calais.

Saltdean Gap and it's desolate and isolated position, meant that it was safe to land cargoes and people could have direct beach access. Smugglers took horses down to the sands to load up. From Europe lace, brandy, tobacco and other luxury items were imported, trading wool from downland sheep sought by European weavers. Goods were hidden in Saltdean Vale before dispatch to Lewes. At the beginning of the 16th century the Black Horse in Rottingdean was often used by local smugglers - informers called '10 shilling men' sometimes spied on them for customs officials. At one time Rottingdean's windmill sails used to signal that the coast was clear. At night the clifftop paths were patrolled by 'preventative officers' although cut out pieces of turf were used to hide goods and help smugglers.

Customs reported some success. The earliest recorded seizure at Saltdean gap was in 26 October 1770 when 133 half-ankers of brandy and tea were confiscated. Sometimes smugglers were killed - on the 12th February 1792, two rode of the the cliffs at the Gap and perished. Riding Officers were much despised and acted as 'mounted policeman' in conjunction with customs officers. The 'Coastal Blockade for the prevention of Smuggling' contained Lieutenants, 120 midshipman and over 1000 seaman at one point. Accommodation usually consisted of specially built guard houses or martello towers. The nearest one to Saltdean was Tower 74 between Blatchington and Newhaven.

On 29th June 1780 there was a fight at sea between two smuggling cutters and a Kings cutter. The smugglers were forced to steer off and let a big cargo down at Saltdean. There were not enough men to carry it all away so some went to the Revenue men. Smugglers hid under turf and drove sheep over the spot. Dragoons also captured a valuable cargo of muslin, lace and other cargo at Saltdean Gap on 12 October 1780. Four days later more dragoons took to sea and overtook smuggling crafts and captured 64 crates of spirits. On one occasion a government cutter moored of Newhaven, closed in on smugglers and hundreds of casks of spirits were jettisoned into the sea. However, local fishermen got many ashore before the Revenue seized them.

Rottingdean remained a haunt for smuggling with even the local vicar from 1792-1838 - Dr Hooker - acting as lookout. In 1814 an anonymous writer reported in 'Summer at Rottingdean' - 'smuggling(sic) is the support of the inhabitants at which they are very Dexterous - a great deal being carried out at a Gap called Salt Dean Gap about 3/4 of a mile to the East'. When men could earn as much as 2s 7d for simply unloading cargo, over twice the daily rate for hard work as a farm labourer, it is easy to sea why smuggling flourished. The last case of smuggling in the area was reported in 1827 where Herbert Julyan writing in 'Rottingdean and the East Sussex Downs and Villages' that 'smugglers attacked and severely beat Liet. Digby of Saltdean Blockade Division' - the first named inhabitant of Saltdean.

In 1794, there government considered temporary barracks at Saltdean Bottom for both cavalier and infantry. The report noted a good supply of water from the wells and admirable shelter from 'atmospheric inclemensies'. The Duke of Cumberland remarked that it was 'one of the best defensive situations on the south frontier of England'. However, they finally chose Blatchington for the barracks.

In February 1816, the government built a watch house at Saltdean Gap, and soon after Coastguard Cottages. The Blockade men also made themselves responsible for saving lives and they were gradually replaced by coastguards.

Left - A Close-up of the coastguard cottages at Saltdean which were situated where Teynham House is now. They were demolished in 1937 (except 6 & 7 which lingered on as a general store and post office)

In 1834 coastguard cottages were built at Saltdean Gap and 11 at Portobello - which still stand today. A coastguards duty must have been a grim one and they patrolled the cliffs night and day, often in strong winds with chalk markings to guide them from the cliff edge. The Coastguard Act of 1856 transferred power of the coastguards to the admiralty and into the 20th century the cottages were auctioned off as accommodation for farm labourers.

Left - An Edwardian view of Saltdean showing the coastguard cottages in 1834

Until the turn of the century, Saltdean remained untouched by industrialisation, with the coast road sometimes carrying horse drawn carriages. In 1807, William Durden had a new larger coach taking the trip from Brighton to Hastings with the journey taking 10 hours in the Royal Charlotte coach. In 1820, Union Lane coaches carried passengers from Brighton to Margate using the coast road - a journey of 114 miles.

Left - A notice showing the auction of the coastguard cottages in 1910

All of Saltdean's farmland owners lived at Rottingdean. Downs flint at Saltdean was used for building materials and works cottages were built for the workers with barns at Lower Bannings and Newlands and Looes Bottom. The Downs pastures were so rich that Kent Farmers often sent sheep to be fattened here and when they were sold proceeds were shared equally. Quite a few were often stolen from shepherds. The last sheep stolen in Sussex was found at Looes Barn, dragged and killed in the High Barn.The Downs had lots of animals and wild plants. Rooks were killed for their breast meat and 'Green Men' helped the village folk recover from illness and dried and collected herbs to sell them as medicines.

Left - Beagles at Rottingdean around 1900

Saltdean was home to gorse and much local wildlife. It could provide a handy source of income and food and skylarks in particular were hunted for food or to be sold as pets or gourmet delicacies. Skylark shooting and poaching in Saltdean was practiced by locals and visitors from Brighton. The sea provided particularly good fishing off the bottom of Bannings Vale with lobster boats settling about 1/2 mile out. Mackerel abounded in season and on summer evenings shoals would come inshore after whitebait seen glinting below the surface. Kipling, resident at Rottingdean from 1897-1902 formed a rifle club range at the heart of Saltdean Valley on Lustrells Vale. There was also some racehorse training in the area and hunts were frequently active in Saltdean, meets often beginning in Telscombe Village. Local residents recall hunts skirting Saltdean boundaries in the 1930's and cantering over local downland as late as the 1950's.

Left - the dramatic rescue of the Nimbo - an Italian cargo vessel ashore at Portobello on 12th November 1929

For centuries Saltdean was an extension of Rottingdean farmland and the shallowness of the soil and abundance of flints meant that the farmland was particularly used for sheep on a large scale - 3000 were owned by Rottingdean farm alone. Sometimes sheep were stolen and Telscombe Burial Register shows in the margin of a man buried on 1st September 1819 aged 39 that he is recorded as the last man hanged for sheep stealing in England. Another story goes that a man came from Brighton to steal a sheep, stopped at a Rottingdean Inn on the way home, slept subsequently outside with the sheep and was strangled by the tethered sheep as he slept. At the turn of the 20th century there was a great decline of sheep farming with the influx of cheap corn and meat from America and Australia. Rottingdean farms were divided and sold and there was a gradual decline in a way of life that had persisted in the area for centuries. Dewponds were a common site and one was located at the eastern end of Falmer Avenue and another behind Rodmell Avenue. Saltdean was also dotted with chalkpits, often used as a source for lime and an 1899 Ordnance Survey map shows a chalk pit at Looes Barn. The barns themselves date from late 18th century to early 16th century but may be earlier.

. In 1934, a Gale Warning Station was constructed on Telscombe Tye - the cost paid for by the Lord of the Manor Charles Neville. It was blessed by the vicar of Peacehaven, Rev.d James Whittle, and was octagonal and marked like a ships compass. When a gale warning arrived it would hoist up 226 feet above sea level and it could be seen 12-15 miles around. Telscombe Parish Council viewed it rather controversially as an 'encroachment' onto the Tye.