St Peter's Street

Origins 

St Peter’s Street runs through the middle of the medieval town. It passes the east end of St Peter’s Church and then connects with Strand Street and the early waterfront. Until the 1830s, it was called Jail Street as before the early 16th century the town gaol stood on its western side, next to the old Court Hall. A 17th-century brick building still called ‘The Old Town Gaol’ stands opposite Holy Ghost Alley. This is now two separate houses. The northern one incorporates huge, reused timbers that could have come from the original prison building, but like the old Court Hall, the prison was demolished a long time ago 

Alleyways and buildings 

Holy Ghost Alley lies opposite the church. This narrow, winding passage is a local cut-through connecting St Peter’s Street with the High Street to the east. In St Peter’s Street, the alley runs through the north end of a 14th century house via the original timber doorway to its open hall. 

The area above the alley is still part of the house to the right. The house to the left may once have been part of the same property but is now a separate home. The passage was probably created in the 17th century. On St Peter’s Street, opposite the church, once stood the 19th-century Export Brewery and its associated maltings (where fermented grain was made or stored). None of these buildings now remain. 

Just beyond St Peter’s Church is another cut-through to the High Street, known as Seven Post Alley. From the High Street, this pathway crossed St Peter’s Street and continued on to connect with Market Street, which was the site of Sandwich’s medieval fish market. Archaeological excavations nearby in 2003 found the remains of a late 12th-century timber building with a clay floor and an oven. This backed onto the western side of St Peter’s Street. It was replaced by a later medieval building, which was demolished before the 19th century. 

Love Lane 

Towards its northern end, close to the junction with Strand Street, St Peter’s Street was once known as Love Lane. In this part of the town, there used to be a number of substantial medieval properties. On the corner of Love Lane, number 23 Strand Street is a fine timber-framed building which was built in the 14th century. A third storey was added in the 16th century and this provides the clearest evidence in Sandwich for loft storage. Both the top floor window on Strand Street (still visible) and the two on Love Lane (until recently altered) go down to floor level and were clearly accessed by pulleys which hauled goods up from the street for storage on this top floor. The most likely commodity was corn, which would have been brought from the countryside and stored before being shipped to London or elsewhere 

The High Street 

The wide spindle shape of the High Street suggests it may have been an early marketplace. The road was once a major throughway from the waterfront and ferry at the north end to the main route south-east of the town and in the Middle Ages it was known as Guildhall Street. This all suggests that the street was very important at that time. Then, in the 14th century, the Mill Wall rampart was built. This blocked the route out of town, and the street became something of a backwater. As a result, the centre of the town moved westwards to present-day Market Street 

The High Street 

The wide spindle shape of the High Street suggests it may have been an early marketplace. The road was once a major throughway from the waterfront and ferry at the north end to the main route south-east of the town and in the Middle Ages it was known as Guildhall Street. This all suggests that the street was very important at that time. Then, in the 14th century, the Mill Wall rampart was built. This blocked the route out of town, and the street became something of a backwater. As a result, the centre of the town moved westwards to present-day Market Street. 

Other Buildings

Towards the north end of the High Street, lies Pellicane House. This impressive flint and stone building has a large, dry cellar where tradition says that the town’s gunpowder was stored. Pellicane House replaced an earlier stone building from around 1300. Part of this remains in number 20 High Street. It has one end of a large open hall which ran parallel to the street into Pellicane House. It may possibly have been the Guildhall after which this street was named.