Smugglers and the Ghostly White Dog

Today Alfriston is a charming and very beautiful village in East Sussex England. But this small quaint village has a very interesting and sometimes violent history. During the Napoleonic Wars the village thrived as a result of a friendly invasion. The villagers billeted a large number of troops that were stationed there in case the invaders should try to get past the Martello Towers and cliffs along the Channel coast. At this time the villagers were able to make a good living from the food, drinks, and other services they provided these soldiers.

Once the Napoleonic Wars ended however the villagers finding themselves impoverished turned to smuggling to make a living. Since this activity benefited the whole village most turned a blind eye to the activity and kept it a close-knit secret. The leader, Stanton Collins, of the Alfriston smugglers—know as the “Alfriston gang-- was the owner and proprietor of a local inn then known as the Star Inn. *

Collins’ gang was known for a reckless violence that probably also contributed to the villagers’ silence. Collins and his gang used the Cuckmere River to bring their contraband from Seaford, a Channel coastal town, to Alfriston from which it was distributed inland. Collins was finally caught wrestling sheep in the 1830s and was transported to Australia. At this point his gang of smugglers finally disbanded.

At the height of the Alfriston Gang’s activity in the late 1700s the son and heir of the Crowne family who owned Place House Estate chose the wrong moment to take his little white dog for a walk. It was after dark and as this young man walked along a small narrow path with his dog—known today as The White Way that led from Seaward to Alfriston **--he was set upon by smugglers he disturbed going about their work.

When this path was being widened in the early 1800s the young mans’ skeleton and that of his dog were found in a shallow grave near where they had walked. It was discovered that a blunt object had crushed his skull. Legend states his dog was killed as well because it probably howled after they killed its master.

After dog and master where murdered a most unusual haunting started to occur near the path where they were killed. Seven years after the Crowne family heir disappeared a young couple walking along the path stopped in horror as they watched a small white transparent dog walk right through a solid embankment. Exactly seven years after this yet another witness saw this small white dog disappear into thin air. Yet more villagers saw this ghostly dog every seven years.

Some state that this white dog was no longer seen after the young man was given a proper burial at St. Andrews—known in the area as the Cathedral of the Downs. Others state the dog is still seen, some people even claim that if you see this ghostly dog it will bring you bad luck. This notion started when one witness in more recent years noticed the dog walking along side him, it then just disappeared. He broke his leg right after seeing this transparent dog on the path.

England has many ghost stories connected to smuggling. Often the smugglers themselves created these ghost stories in order to keep people afraid of venturing out at night, which was the time they plied their illicit trade. However, there are a few ghost stories connected to smugglers that seem to have some truth, in future I will share some of them.

* The Star Inn was originally built in 1345 as what was believed to be a hostel. In the 1500’s this building was converted to an inn. Outside this inn stands a red lion that is said to once have been a figurehead on a Dutch ship that wrecked in the 1800s and was then raided by the notorious Alfriston gang. This inn was owned and used by Stanton Collins as his smuggling base. Today it is known as the “Ye Olde Smugglers Inn.”

** The White Way might be named this because of the chalk that cuts through it, just like Dover, Seaford has white chalk cliffs.