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Bopeep Hotel, West Marina, St Leonards, Sussex

St Leonards pub history index

Hastings and St Leonards have a long history of smuggling and the Bo Peep area of St Leonards was once a popular place to land contraband. It is often said that the famous nursery rhyme was really about smuggling: Bo Peep was the excise men, the sheep were the smugglers and their tails were the contraband, which the smugglers often threw overboard in an attempt to avoid arrest. This contraband was often washed up on the beach later and recovered. The lesser known later verses refer to Bo Peep finding her sheep without their tails and then discovering the tails hanging out to dry. ***

An earlier picture of the Bopeep Hotel is here

Bopeep Hotel, West Marina, St Leonards - in July 2010

Bopeep Hotel, West Marina, St Leonards - in July 2010

Kindly provided by Terry Huggins

Directory of historical public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels in St Leonards, Sussex. The St Leonards, Sussex listing uses information from census, Trade Directories and History to add licensees, bar staff, Lodgers and Visitors.

The following entries are in this format:

Year/Publican or other Resident/Relationship to Head and or Occupation/Age/Where Born/Source.

1918/Charles Webber/../../../Post Office Directory

1938/Frank Luck/../../../Post Office Directory


*** Provided By Terry Huggins

And Last updated on: Wednesday, 02-Oct-2024 14:43:48 BST