Robin Hood’s Bay: A Village of Smugglers and Secrets

The Smuggling Secrets of Robin Hood's Bay

Robin Hood’s Bay is a pretty and charming village on the Yorkshire coast, steeped in tales of intrigue, daring and smuggling. Its smuggling history, which was at it's peak in the 18th and early 19th centuries, is one of its most captivating stories the village has to tell. Nearly all of the Robin Hoods Bay cottages were involved in some way or another.

During the 18th and early 19th centuries, Robin Hood’s Bay was the busiest smuggling hub on the Yorkshire coast. The village’s natural isolation, surrounded by marshy moorland, and its unique layout of narrow, winding alleys, hidden doorways, and labyrinthine cottages made it a smuggler’s paradise. Goods like tea, gin, brandy, tobacco, and silk were illegally brought in to avoid high taxes, and nearly the entire community was involved in some fashion. From fishermen and farmers to innkeepers and even clergy, smuggling was a way of life that offered better rewards than fishing—despite the considerable risks.

The villagers of Robin Hood's Bay were incredibly resourceful, developing an intricate network of tunnels and secret passages connecting cottages, allowing them to move contraband under the very noses of excise officers. Legend has it that a bale of silk could travel from the beach at the bottom of the village to the top without ever seeing daylight. Smugglers and customs officers frequently clashed, and battles were often fierce. Tales are told of Bay wives pouring boiling water from bedroom windows to defend their own.

This communal effort and secrecy helped the villagers of Robin Hood's Bay evade the law for many years, creating an enduring legacy. Today, traces of this smuggling past remain. Many of the village’s buildings, including the Robin Hood's Bay cottages and inns, are steeped in stories of hidden cellars and passageways, adding a layer of intrigue to the charm of Robin Hood’s Bay. Visitors walking its cobbled streets can almost hear the whispers of smugglers past.

Interestingly, while the origins of the name Robin Hood’s Bay remain a mystery, the village is far better known for its smuggling exploits than any link to Sherwood Forest’s legendary outlaw. By the early 19th century, as smuggling declined, the village began to attract visitors from the outside world. Today, it continues to charm tourists with its stunning seaside beauty, historic character, and the lingering allure of its smuggling history.

To discover more about the fascinating history of Robin Hood's Bay smuggling past head to the local museum on Fisherhead. Alternativity, why not join one of the regular smuggler's tours that leaves from Tea Toast and Post, down at the bottom of the Bay in high season. 

The Smugglers Inn, right round the corner from Dock Cottage does great pizzas, to eat in or take away and is well worth a visit. Keep an eye out on their Facebook page for live music nights as well.