Custom House, Poole

The Custom House (formerly known as the King's Custom House)[1] is a Grade II* listed building in Poole, Dorset, England. It is a Georgian building located in the oldest part of Poole Quay, and is currently used as a restaurant.[2]

Custom House
The Custom House on Poole Quay
General information
LocationPoole Quay
Town or cityPoole
CountryUnited Kingdom
Opened1747

History
A representation of the Custom House being raided, as in 1747.

The original Custom House building was built in 1747.[3] In the same year, the Custom House was the site of a burglary, in which 30 smugglers, led by members of the Hawkhurst Gang, raided the house and took two tons of smuggled tea and 39 barrels of rum, worth over £500, that had previously been confiscated.[3][4][5][6] The raid happened at night, with the gang reaching Poole at 11pm. The tea was then taken through Fordingbridge.[7]:40–41 Four men were convicted at the Old Bailey in 1749, during which they argued that "there was no crime in smuggling" and that they were just "recovering their own goods". Three of the four men convicted were hanged at Tyburn.[8]:142–144[7]:47[9]

In 1788 the Custom House produced a report on notorious smuggler Isaac Gulliver, noting he focused mainly on wine smuggling.[10] The current Custom House in Poole was built in 1813, during a time in which Poole and Bournemouth were growing; the old Custom House building was destroyed by fire.[8]:403[11] In the nineteenth century, the Custom House was used for collecting extra taxes for boats entering Poole Harbour.[12] In 1838, the building was run by Gartside & Co.[13] The Custom House was closed by HM Treasury in 1883, with the customs being transferred to Weymouth's custom house.[14] In 1954, the Custom House became a Grade II* listed building.[15]

Restaurant

The Custom House was restored and originally opened as a seafood restaurant in 1997 before changing to the Custom House Cafe in 2018.[16] It overlooks Poole Quay with views of Brownsea Island.[17] On summer Thursdays, the restaurant hosts live music as part of the Poole Quay fireworks displays.[18]

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References
  1. Martyris, Nina (2 February 2016). "Cuppa Thugs: These Brutal Smugglers Ran An 18th Century Tea Cartel". NPR. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  2. "English resort which harbours smugglers' tales and millionaires". Nottingham Post. 13 October 2011. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  3. Richards, Alexandra (March 2015). Dorset (Slow Travel). Bradt Travel Guides. p. 260. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  4. "Smugglers' Britain". Smuggling in the British Isles. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  5. Gough, Patrick (29 October 2010). "The Custom House, Poole Quay". Bournemouth Daily Echo. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  6. Castelow, Ellen. "Smugglers and Wreckers". Historic UK. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  7. Chatterton, E. Keble (2008). The Fine Art of Smuggling: King's Cutters Vs Smugglers, 1700–1855. Fireship Press. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  8. Sydenham, John (1839). The History of the Town and County of Poole. Sydenham. Retrieved 4 September 2016. custom house poole history.
  9. Mackeson, Henry B. (1874). A History of the Weald of Kent, with an Outline of the Early History of the County, Volume 3. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  10. "The King of the Smugglers". The Dorset Page. Archived from the original on 10 July 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  11. Lambert, Tim. "A Brief History of Poole". Local Histories. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  12. Imray, James Frederick (1858). Pilotage rates and regulations of the principal ports of the United Kingdom, with the charges of towage, etc. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  13. "Dissolution of Partnerships". Newcastle Journal. 24 February 1838. p. 4. Retrieved 4 September 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  14. "Poole Custom House". Hampshire Advertiser. 13 June 1883. p. 2. Retrieved 4 September 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  15. "Custom House, Poole". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  16. "About us". Custom House Poole. Archived from the original on 14 September 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  17. "Two go potty in Poole as Jurassic Coast has it all". Ashbourne News Telegraph. 17 July 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  18. "Custom House". Poole Tourism. Retrieved 4 September 2016.

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