Sandwich, Kent

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Map sources for Sandwich, Kent at grid reference TR330581

Sandwich is an historic town in Kent, south-east England. It was one of the Cinque Ports and still has many original mediaeval buildings. While once a major port, it is now two miles from the sea.

Contents 1 History 2 Sandwich Today 3 Twin cities/towns 4 Sandwich and Sandwiches 5 External links

[edit] History

The Port of Sandwich is no stranger to odd events in English history, and it was in the year 1255 that the first captive Elephant was definitely landed in England (see: History of elephants in Europe); although Claudius is said to have used war elephants in the successful Roman conquest of Britain in AD 43, but as these could have been landed at Richborough nearby, the date may be the moot point, rather than the place. The prize beast arrived at Sandwich quayside, delivered as a gift to the English monarch Henry III, from the French king, and then curiously taken on foot to the king's zoo at the Tower of London. The journey through Kent is reported to have proceeded without incident, except when a bull in a field adjacent to the roadside took umbrage to the great beast passing and attacked it. In one move the poor animal was thrown by the elephant and killed outright. (Hidden Kent: Alan Major).

Before Sandwich became a Cinque Port, the ancient Saxon town of Stonar, located on the opposite bank of the Wantsum estuary, at the mouth of the River Stour, was already well established and remained a place of considerable importance until it disappeared almost without trace in the 14th century. The ruins of the major Roman fort of Richborough are close by.

Stonar was also sometimes called Lundenwic, indicative of its extensive trade with London – a position contested fiercely by Sandwich which went on to replace Stonar as the major port from about 1365, when Stonar was overwhelmed by the sea in a great storm. Sandwich adopted the name Lonenwic for a while.

Exactly 20 years after the storm, Stonar was burnt to the ground in a raid by the French. An earlier battle known to have occurred on these shores was fought at Stonar by the Saxon king Edmund II Ironside against the forces of Toekill the Dane in 1009, who scored an exceptional victory for the home team.

In 1457, after four years of uneasy peace in England, the king presided over a wasting realm, with feudal barons lording over the population of the north and the west of the realm. The French took advantage of the situation by sending a raiding party to Kent, burning the Cinque Port of Sandwich to the ground.

A force of 4,000 men from Honfleur, under the command of Marshal de Breze came ashore to pillage the town, in the process murdering the mayor, John Drury. It thereafter became an established tradition, which survives to this day, that the Mayor of Sandwich wears a black robe in mourning for this ignoble deed.

The Battle of Sandwich is sometimes said to have been fought in 1460, but although the rebel English raiding party did land here, over 30,000 local supporters are said to have accompanied Warwick and his party to London, offering support to his cause during the Wars of the Roses.

Sandwich was later to gain significantly from the skills brought to the town by many Dutch settlers, who were granted the right to settle by Queen Elizabeth I in 1560. These settlers, brought with them techniques of market gardening, and were responsible for growing the first English celery. The Huguenot refugees also brought over Dutch architectural techniques, that are now as much a part of Kent as the thatched cottage. In addition techniques of silk manufacture were imported, enhancing the Kent cloth industry.

[edit] Sandwich Today

The local economy has benefited from significant investment by Pfizer, a US pharmaceuticals company, which has built a research and development centre near Sandwich, employing over 5,000 people. Laboratory experiments at the site have aroused negative comment by animal rights activists. Several important drugs including Viagra, Pfizer's treatment for erectile dysfunction, were discovered here. The presence of this single high-tech research centre in the region leads to significant structural unemployment of highly qualified scientists.

Sandwich has two world-class golf courses, Royal St George's which hosts The Open Championship every 10 years and Prince's which hosted The Open Championship in 1932 and is currently an Open Championship Final Qualifying course. The Open Championship returns to Sandwich in 2013.

There is Monk's Wall nature reserve and a bird observatory at Sandwich Bay.

Within the immediate area of Sandwich it is generally accepted that there are 3 schools, Sandwich Juniors for children form the ages of 4 to 11, and Sir Roger Manwoods School,for 11-18 and Sandwich technology school again,11-18.

[edit] Twin cities/towns

• - Honfleur, France
• - Ronse (fr.Renaix), Belgium

[edit] Sandwich and Sandwiches

The town's connection with the snack of the same name is that John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich allegedly invented it; see his entry for further details.

There is another village in Kent called Hamstreet, or just Ham. A road sign[1] some miles away pointing to both villages, thus:

has had to be replaced several times because people keep stealing it. (No arrests have been made yet) This has led to the new signs displaying:

in an attempt to curtail the thefts. This goes against the standard with signs of putting the nearer location above the farther.

[edit] External links

• Discover Sandwich, Kent, UK including a brief history of the Town
• Open Sandwich Kent a guide and history
• Sandwich Bay bird observatory
• Royal St George's Golf Club Offical Site
• Prince's Golf Club Official Site

view • talk • edit  The town, villages and parishes of Dover District in Kent, South East England:
Alkham • Ash • Ashley • Aylesham • Barfrestone • Capel-le-Ferne • Coldred • Coombe • Deal • Denton • Drellingore • East Langdon • Eastry • East Studdal • Elvington • Eythorne • Finglesham • Goodnestone • Great Mongeham • Little Mongeham • Guston • Hacklinge • Ham • Hougham without • Kearsney • Kingsdown • Langdon • Lydden • Marley • Martin • Martin Mill • Maxton • Nonington • Northbourne • Preston • Richborough • Ringwould • Ripple • River • Sandwich • Shepherdswell • Sholden • Snowdown • St Margaret-at-Cliffe • Staple • Stourmouth • Sutton by Dover • Temple Ewell • Tilmanstone • Walmer • West Langdon • West Studdal • Whitfield• Wingham • Woodnesborough • Wootton • Worth
The town of Dover List of places in Kent