Samson's Bay is about one and a half kilometres north-east of Hele, between Rillage Point and Widmouth Head. Samson's Beach is accessible at low tide via a donkey-path down from the north-east of Rillage Point. The path leads to a vertical vein of blue limestone, extensively quarried, probably in the late 19th century. On the beach are Samson's Caves.

In the late 19th century the spelling was Sampson's. By local tradition Sampson's Cave was named after a local smuggler, but smuggler's didn't often use caves, preferring open spaces where they could escape and there is no evidence of a local smuggler called Sampson or Samson. The other local caves (Joe Moon's and Tom Norman's Hole) appear to have been named after their creators and this is the most likely origin of Sampson's.

"A little way beyond this point the traveller looks down upon a cove called Sampson's Bay; it is girt in with rocky cliffs of great massiveness and wild grandeur, too abrupt and perpendicular to be scaled, even by the most expert climber. An ample cavern yawns on the western side of the bay, into whose depths, as the tide was high, the surf was dashing, with a roar that rivalled the discharge of artillery. I thought of the fine simile of Moore:

'Beneath, terrific caverns gave

Dark welcome to each stormy wave

That dash'd, like midnight revellers, in' " (Gosse 1853 p 293)

Samson's Bay, Samson's Caves, Samson's Beach and Samson's Cave are all so-called on the OS map of 1891.

"Much excitement was caused in Ilfracombe and neighbourhood on Thursday evening  when it became known that the saloon steamer Alexandra, with about 300 passengers on boards, was ashore near Watermouth castle, the exact spot being Sampson's Beach." (Ilfracombe Observer August 22 1893 p 7 c 2)

"Between this point [Rillage] and Widmouth Head lies the little rock-bound bay called Sampson's Cove. Here is Sampson's cave. Sampson appears to have been a smuggler, and the cave was his storehouse."  (Page 1895 p 79)

"Another name which conjures up visions of smuggling days is Sampson's Bay - one of the most convenient spots along the coast for men who gained their livelihood by luring vessels to destruction. Sampson was a smuggler of repute." (Ilfracombe Chronicle Sept. 1st 1933 p 6)

"Another famous place is Samson’s cave which is at the other end of the town and can be approached by stone steps just beyond Haggington on the Combe Martin Road. Samson was a famous (or infamous) North Devon smuggler and he used it for storing smuggled goods." (Wilson 1976 p 51)