GRAVESEND: A SMUGGLER'S PARADISE

 

My next book takes place in the ancient town of Gravesend, located in Kent, England. This town is rich in history, birthplace of Charles Dickens, and the final resting place for Pocahontas.

Back in the 18th century, the Thames estuary coast was not easily defined. All ships heading for London had to thread their way through treacherous channels and numerous mud-banks to find a safe harbor.
Many ships made unscheduled stops in the sticky mud, claiming their overnight wait was for the tide to shift. However, more times than not, this was just a ploy to unload half their cargo into small boats that suddenly appeared out of the gloom. From the ship's deck, the crew members would toss out parcels into the passing rowing boats.

Once ashore, and into the hands of the smugglers, pursuit was virtually impossible by the Revenue men, since the low-lying lands had large brackish pools and wide drainage dykes. 

Furthermore, it has been claimed that the smugglers dug a network of tunnels, which ran the length of Gravesend.

Gravesend was truly a smuggler's paradise.