Deal and its History

Deal is located on the far east cost of Kent. Although close to Dover, Deal is a tourist resort of its own. Thought to be the landing point of Julius Caesar, Deal's history dates back many centuries. In the 13th Century Deal was briefly the busiest port in Britain thanks to it being named a limb port as part of the Cinque Ports. It is also the location of one of the 3 castles Henry VIII th built to protect that area of the South East.

The History of the name

The name Deal comes from the word for a hollow or valley. The first appearance of the name was in the Doomsday book where it appeared as Addelam, adding the prefix 'ad' meaning at.

The Smugglers Tunnels

Deal's coastal location meant it was a perfect haven for smugglers. In the 17th Century, the town was notorious for smuggling. Both Daniel Defoe and Samuel Pepys wrote of the town and its smugglers after their visits.

Many of the buildings of the time have survived and are linked with a warren of tunnels running under the town. The tunnels run from many of the houses to buildings including churches and were used to transport the smuggled goods.

William Pitt-the-Younger declared that all the boats from Deal should be burnt as they were suspected to be involved in smuggling. This is thought to be the end of Deal's smuggling past.