Historic hotel accommodation in Brixham, Torbay, South Devon, England.

Seaside holidays reminiscent of your childhood, with tales of smugglers and
ancient history.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
  • Smugglers History

 
 

 
 

The History of the Smugglers Haunt Hotel
 

'RESURRECTION BOB'
Several years ago, many hundreds of documents, manuscripts and records were retrieved from a vault in St. Mary's Church,* which date back to 1300 AD.  From these records, together with existing authenticated material, it can be established that Bob Elliot, perhaps the most notorious of all Devonshire smugglers, resided at one of two cottages at present forming part of The Smugglers Haunt Hotel. 

In 1851 Bob Elliot and his crew, Skipper Jack, Bob Dugdale, Aron Trier, Pogwell, Shears, Green, Lakeman and Dyers were sought by Revenue men following a find of 142 bales of tobacco in limestone caves off Berry Head*.

Bob Elliot escaped by being placed in a massive coffin and carried out of the Carpenters/Coffin Shop (being our present-day Reception).  He was duly buried and later, with the aid of accomplices, exhumed and thus escaped.  He was seen later that very day by 3 coastguards on their way home on the Totnes Road*, who at first thought it must be a ghost.

 

From then on, he was known as 'Resurrection Bob'

 

* Berry Head - a nearby nature reserve, now owned by the National Trust, rising high above sea level and housing the Brixham Lighthouse.   Berry Head is also the home to the remains of an ancient Roman Fort complete with moat, and home to hundreds of wild birds, both seabirds and land birds - a serious bird-spotter's paradise.

*Totnes is a lovely old historic town on the edge of the River Dart - about 7 miles from Brixham.

*St Mary's Church, Brixham, is located in St Mary's Square - a very charming and old part of Brixham, which in olden days housed the "farming community" of Brixham.   It thus rejoices in the familiar name of "Cowtown".  Brixham has another Parish Church, located just behind the Smugglershaunt Hotel, called All Saints Church - this church served the "fishing community".   This church had a very famous Vicar in the Reverend Francis Lyte, (1793-1847) who wrote the hymn Abide With Me.  There was traditionally great rivalry between the two communities - the poorer fishing community and the richer farmers - and even today, Cowtown has its own carnival, the Cowtown Carnival.