Coastal industry, trade and smuggling

A number of prominent coastal trades and activities have developed, thrived and then disappeared along the New Forest coast through time, including saltworking, shipbuilding, smuggling, iron working, fishing and maritime trade.

The activity pack provided explains the industries that have had a place in the New Forest over the centuries, ranging from the well-established salt industry to smuggling! Hidden sites around the area provide exciting ideas for field trips and innovative activities bring these jobs and activities to life.

There are three loan boxes that develop this subject area further; two look at smuggling including, where the goods came from and the involvement of local communities in this illicit trade. The other investigates real archaeological artefacts recovered from shipwrecks off our coast, challenging pupils to find what information about trade and travel can be learnt from these finds. archaeologists