Local men then turned to smuggling to supplement their incomes. The evidence suggests that the lord of the manor was heavily involved and old folk still tell of a tunnel reputed to have run between Rock House and the Manor House. What is certain is that in 1805 a lugger from Guernsey came into the harbour and in broad daylight landed over 600 kegs of spirits onto the manor field. There the barrels lay for two days and nights before men came down with packhorses and carried them away.

One of the last contraband runs into the harbour took place on a January night in 1832. The occupants of Rock House would have had a grandstand view of the battle that ensued when coastguards tried to arrest the smugglers and seize their brandy. Coastguards keeping watch saw a sailing vessel come into the bay just after midnight. Lights flashed and a rowing boat came in ashore from the vessel, loaded with brandy. Down Mars Hill came smugglers with packhorses, but as the kegs were being loaded on to the horses, three coastguards sprang out and arrested the smugglers at gunpoint. One of the coastguards went off for reinforcements and while he was gone a second rowing boat loaded with more kegs came in from the vessel in the bay. These smugglers realised what was happening and attacked the coastguards on the beach. The coastguards were badly beaten, tied up and left lying on the beach. The smugglers returned to their ship, which sailed away. The men on shore loaded some of the kegs onto their horses and disappeared into the night. When the reinforcements arrived, all they found were kegs strewn about and two badly injured coastguards.

By Victorian times Lynmouth had become a select resort for those with the means and time to make the long and difficult journey. Rock House was let out to wealthy families who arrived for the summer months with their servants on the paddle steamer from Bristol. In 1869, for example, Mr Whitehead, a wealthy mill owner from Gloucestershire, rented Rock House and caused a huge stir by erecting an iron church in Lynmouth, which was intended to rival the parish church at Lynton.

In more recent times tragedy came to Lynmouth. On the night of 15th August 1952 a raging torrent of water swept through the little village, bringing death and destruction in its wake. Miraculously, Rock House escaped the worst of the flood with the main force of the waters striking the opposite side of the river bank where it demolished the old lifeboat house and beach house before swinging back to rush past the rear of the hotel. Although parts of Rock House were flooded to a depth of several feet, no serious structural damage was done.

So Rock House survived when many old hotels and cottages were completely destroyed. Today this fine building serves as a reminder of days long gone, when discerning visitors first discovered Lynmouth and were entranced by it's exceptional scenery