Sandwich Town Guide

A Cinque Ports Town 

The Cinque Port of Sandwich is one of the most complete medieval towns in England. Its rich history has stemmed from its closeness to mainland Europe, which made it a natural port for continental trade and for the embarkation of England’s medieval armies. 

A settlement existed by the 7th century and grew into a prosperous trading and fishing port. 

The River Stour, on which Sandwich stands, was once far wider and deeper than today. It flowed into the Wantsum Channel and was a cut through to Reculver and the mouth of the Thames. This was safer than travelling around the coast and it became known as the Sandwich Haven.

 Along with other ships from the south east, the nucleus of the early English Navy was formed here, through the confederation of the Cinque Ports. 

When needed, each member had to provide a number of fully crewed ships for use by the Crown in the defence of England or other military service. In return, the Cinque Ports were given many privileges which led to control of the Channel and its trade. The coastal location of Sandwich meant that it was always vulnerable to attack from an invading fleet. 

A great naval battle with the French took place off the town in 1217. This has become known as ‘The Battle of Sandwich’. A superior French force, sailing for London, was defeated by a much smaller fleet of Cinque Ports ships. 

In 1457, 4000 men from Honfleur (now Sandwich’s twinned town) inflicted much damage in a raid on the town. The men of Sandwich put up strong resistance but the town’s Mayor, John Drury, who valiantly led the defence, was among those killed. To this day, the Mayor of Sandwich wears black robes to mark this tragic event. 

Famous figures 

Sandwich has many famous associations. Edward the Confessor came to Sandwich in 1049 to counter the threat from Baldwin V, Count of Flanders. Samuel Pepys, the famous Diarist, was a Member of Parliament for the town in 1685; John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, invented the sandwich in 1762 at the gambling table, where he asked for meat to be served between slices of bread to avoid interrupting the game; and Thomas Paine, author of ‘The Rights of Man’ and a contributor to the American Constitution, lived here. 

In Malory’s ‘Le Morte d’Arthur’, written in the 15th century, it is Sandwich that figures as the greatest port of England, where the legendary King Arthur has his triumphant homecoming after slaying the Emperor of Rome with Excalibur.

Many British monarchs have visited the town, including Richard, Coeur de Lion, on his return from the crusades. Edward III, Henry VIII and Elizabeth I have also visited. In 1170, Thomas Becket returned from his exile in France to a rapturous welcome in Sandwich before eventually being martyred at Canterbury. 

Changing fortunes 

Between the 11th and 15th centuries, the town reached the height of its fame and prosperity. Maritime trade flourished, with ships unloading fine goods from Europe and the Far East on the Sandwich quays. For a time, the port was the chief centre for the export of English wool. It was also used by the navy and army as a base in the long running wars with France. 

By the 16th century, however, the river was so badly silted up that Sandwich was no longer a major port. A ship that sank in Sandwich Haven during the 1460s did much harm by causing a large bank of silt to form. Further difficulties were caused by ships illegally dumping ballast stones overboard while in the Haven. 

Sandwich Today 

Today, Sandwich is 3km (1.9 miles) from the coast but it used to be on the shores of the Wantsum Channel. This was a tidal estuary that silted up throughout the medieval period, impacting the town’s position as a prosperous port. 

Between 1479 and 1825, at least eight different plans were produced, either to reduce the silting or to create a new harbour by making a cut through to the open sea. However, all these plans came to nothing. In 1561, Elizabeth I granted permission for a limited number of ‘Strangers’ (probably a corruption of the French word etranger) to settle in the town. 

The ‘Strangers’ were Protestant refugees who were escaping religious persecution in the Low Countries. Their skills as cloth makers and market gardeners helped to revive trade in Sandwich during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. 

Their influence led to the design of Dutch gables which can still be seen on many buildings. Older buildings, erected when Sandwich was a major European trading port, have also been preserved in impressive numbers.