Hawkhurst

A long-established village located in the Weald of Kent, close to the Sussex border.

During the mid-18th century, Hawkhurst was the base of a notorious gang of smugglers involved in the illegal import and theft of tea, brandy, and rum.  Their methods of doing business and protecting their interests were particularly brutal; they were finally defeated by the local militia in a pitched battle in the nearby village of Goudhurst.