Pegwell Bay

The village of Pegwell Bay was well known for its abundant shrimps, which were converted into shrimp paste or shrimp sauce at a local factory and sold in porcelain pots with attractively painted lids. The freshly caught shrimps were brought up to Pegwell's tea gardens and factory via an old tunnel from the beach. This tunnel was also used for smuggling. In 1852, a newspaper report tells us that

"the coastguard officer stationed at Pegwell Stairs observed a man enter the tunnel leading to the rocks which is used for the purpose of obtaining seaweed, sand, etc He at once proceeded thither, feeling with his cutlass each side as he descended and, when abreast of a cavity in which a Cost Guard boat is placed, he was tripped up and the man whom he had seen effected his escape."

Having discharged his pistol, other officers came to his aid and they discovered a tub of spirits.

"Footsteps were traced across the fields, apparently of three men and a boy, and another tub was found by the side of the footpath leading to St Lawrence."

The Stairs referred to in the newspaper report are described by Dickens in his short story 'The Tuggses of Ramsgate' in Sketches by Boz (1837) ...

"And then they went down the steep wooden steps a little further on, which led to the bottom of the cliff; and looked at the crabs, and the seaweed, and the eels, till it was more than fully time to go back to Ramsgate again."

Pegwell Bay, Kent – a Recollection of October 5th 1858 by William Dyce

The Tuggses had been visiting the Belle Vue Tavern on the cliffs, famous for serving shrimp teas in its tea garden overlooking the sea....

"Small saucers of large shrimps, dabs of butter, crusty loaves and bottled ale"

The year Dickens published his short story, the publican of the Belle Vue Tavern, John Cramp, was appointed 'Purveyor of Essence of Shrimps in ordinary to Her Majesty the Queen' following a royal visit to the tea gardens in 1830.