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Category:Caves of England |
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* [http://www.showcaves.com/english/gb/showcaves/Clements.html St. Clements Caves], www.showcaves.com |
* [http://www.showcaves.com/english/gb/showcaves/Clements.html St. Clements Caves], www.showcaves.com |
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[[Category:Caves of England]] |
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[[Category:Hastings]] |
[[Category:Hastings]] |
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[[Category:Visitor attractions in East Sussex]] |
[[Category:Visitor attractions in East Sussex]] |
Revision as of 19:47, 9 May 2010
50°51′29″N 0°35′24″E / 50.858°N 0.590°E St. Clements Caves are located on the West Hill in Hastings, East Sussex. The caves were named after a nearby parish church and are now part of a tourist attraction which tells the story of smuggling on the South Coast of England 200 years ago.
History
The earliest written reference about the caves was about an old man and woman who were discharged from the town workhouse for misbehaviour and who lived in the caves from 1783. The couple lived at the bottom of 'Monks Walk', a 140 feet (44 metres) long tunnel which is now the start of the cave tour.
In the 1820s, the caves were rediscovered by a local grocer named Joseph Golding. He was cutting a garden seat into the side of the cliff when he broke through to the vast cavern. They became a tourist attraction in 1864 and were visited by the Prince and Princess of Wales. In 1873 the caves received another royal visit from Prince Albert and Prince George Frederick.
In 1940 the caves became an air raid shelter and a temporary home for up to 600 people. Even once when the West Hill received a direct hit from a bomb, the caves remained undamaged.
Modern tourist attraction
Nowadays the caves are home to the tourist attraction The Smugglers Adventure, which allows visitors to tour around the caves, with interactive activities, life-sized wax models and videos with fictional smuggler 'Hairy Jack'. The Ballroom is now a converted gift shop and main entrance to the attraction.
External links
- Smugglers Adventure Discover Hastings Site
- St. Clements Caves, www.showcaves.com