Episode 9: Blackthorn After Dark - The Hellfire Club

Welcome to Blackthorn After Dark, our monthly storytelling series where the day’s work is done, the bottle is open, and the kind of stories you can’t stop thinking about begin. This month, we’re diving into one of history’s most notorious secret societies: The Hellfire Club. If you love tales of aristocratic debauchery, hidden tunnels, and ghostly hauntings, you’re in the right place. And yes, there’s wine.

For this episode, we’re sipping on Tank Winery 2023 Sex Picnic Pet Nat, a playful, effervescent natural wine. This Pet Nat is a unique blend of 43% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, 16% Riesling, 12% Gewurztraminer, 3% Cinsault, 3% Barbera, 2% Counoise, and 1% Pinot Noir—perfect for a night of storytelling, intrigue, and maybe a little mischief.

Who Was Sir Francis Dashwood?

The Hellfire Club was founded in 1746 by Sir Francis Dashwood in West Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, about 31 miles from London. Dashwood, born into London aristocracy in 1708, inherited his father’s title and the West Wycombe estate at just 15. Known for his wild exploits across Europe, Dashwood gained notoriety as a carouser, trickster, and challenger of the strict moral codes of the 18th century.

From impersonating Charles XII of Sweden in Russia to being kicked out of the Papal States in Italy, Dashwood’s rebellious nature set the stage for the infamous Hellfire Club. Before this notorious society, he had already established the Society of Dilettanti and the Divan Club, gatherings that mixed art, travel, and indulgence.

The Hellfire Club: Origins and Secret Chambers

Dashwood first convened his band of aristocratic hedonists at the George and Vulture pub in London, calling themselves the Order of the Knights of St. Francis. Membership was deliberately limited to 12—a nod to numerology—and their meetings were intentionally anti-Christian and satirical.

The clubhouse? The ruins of Medmenham Abbey, a dissolved Christian monastery. Dashwood commissioned an underground network of chalk and flint caves, now known as the Hellfire Caves, which took 100 men six years to build. The tunnels are quarter-mile long and include:

• Stewards Chamber

• Whitehead’s Cave

• Lord Sandwich’s Circle

• Banqueting Hall – rumored to be the largest man-made chalk cave ever created

• The Triangle

• The Minor’s Cave

• The River Styx – a natural stream named after the Greek underworld

• The Inner Temple – directly beneath Saint Lawrence Church, the site of the club’s most secretive rituals

Paul Whitehead, the club’s steward, burned all records before his death in 1774, leaving the exact purposes of these chambers a mystery. Rumors of Satanism, human sacrifice, and secret sex rituals swirl to this day, though the truth remains lost to time.

Scandal, Sex, and Satire

The Hellfire Club was infamous for indulgence and decadence. Men dressed as monks, women as nuns, and Dashwood himself as the priest. Masks ensured anonymity, while the motto “Fais ce que tu voudras” (“Do what thou wilt”) foreshadowed the philosophy later popularized by Aleister Crowley.

Members included notable 18th-century figures like John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, William Hogarth, John Wilkes, and Thomas Potter. Some say Benjamin Franklin visited, though he likely never formally joined.

Sexual escapades were central. Historian Evelyn Lord wrote, “Sex … was one of the main preoccupations of the Friars.” Horace Walpole, a former associate, noted the club’s chapel was adorned with bawdy art and mock-religious antics.

Ghost Stories of the Hellfire Caves

Even after the club dissolved in the 1760s, the caves left behind a legacy of haunting legends:

• Paul Whitehead’s ghost reportedly wanders the caves, searching for his heart, which was stolen 100 years after his death.

• Suki, a teenage barmaid tragically killed inside the caves, is said to appear as a woman in white, her cries echoing through the tunnels.

• Visitors sometimes report hearing mysterious voices, footsteps, or even seeing ghostly lights in the deepest chamber, the Inner Temple.

Paranormal investigations, including an episode of Ghost Hunters, captured unexplained EVPs and moving lights—adding to the eerie allure of these historic tunnels.

Why You’ll Want to Listen

In this episode of Blackthorn After Dark, we explore the full story of the Hellfire Club, from its scandalous beginnings to the ghostly legends that endure today. It’s a tale of aristocratic rebellion, secret tunnels, and the mysteries that lie beneath West Wycombe.

So pour a glass of your favorite wine and join us as we venture into the secrets, scandals, and spirits of the Hellfire Caves.

🎧 Listen to Episode 9: The Hellfire Club now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.