Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

It is not clear when Sandwich was defended for the first time although in 1274-5 fortifications, constructed to oppose the king, were ordered to be demolished; whether this in fact happened is unclear. In 1321 the town was granted murage for seven years but little seems to have been done in comparison with other towns in the area, even though Sandwich was an important base during the Hundred Years War. In 1385 Sir Simon Burley, constable of Dover Castle was instructed to fortify the town.

Sandwich was unusual among English towns in respect of the size of its 15th century fortification programme. Murage (the right to build walls) was granted for seven years in 1405 and again, for the same duration in 1412. It appears that the intention was to wall the town in stone although little evidence for this remains. In 1451 a two-storey 'Bulwark' armed with guns was erected at the south-east corner of the town which proved effective in defending the French attack of 1457, although the town was eventually sacked. Work on the town defences continued through the second half of the 15th century. The remains of the earth defences which protected the town can be traced with very little difficulty except along the riverside. The most impressive section is the south-east corner, where the bank rises steeply above the ditch to a height of about 25 ft, 7.62 m. There were five gates in the circuit, of which only two now remain. That known as the Barbican is probably a mid 14th century structure, and consists of two circular towers flanking a single archway. Only the base of the towers remains, standing to a height of about 10 ft, 3.05 m; a modern superstructure has been erected. Part of the wall remains on the west side. Fishergate, a three-storied building, has been dated to 1571, but this may refer only to the upper storey which is built in brick whereas the lower two are of flint.

Summary from record TR 35 NW 15:

During the Middle Ages Sandwich was a defended town with five gates of which only two, Fishergate and the Barbican, now remain. A wall was constructed on the quayside with a ditch and rampart on the landward sides. The first reference to fortifications occurs in 1274-5. Murage grants were made during the late 14th century and considerable works were carried out in the 15th century. The town was attacked in 1400 and in 1438. In 1451, the north-east corner of the town was fortified with a stone-built, two-storey 'Bulwark". The latter was a considerable obstacle to the French when the town was attacked and partially burnt in 1457. The surviving 'Barbican' was an addition of 1538 covering the entrance to the town from the bridge over the river Stour. Canterbury Gate stood at the north-west corner of the town and was demolished c.1792.

Lengths of the moat were dredged in WW2 to create an anti-tank ditch.

Monument Types

• DITCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• GATE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• RAMPART (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• TOWN DEFENCES (TOWN DEFENCES, Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• TOWN WALL (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1274 AD? to 1900 AD)
• BULWARK (Medieval - 1451 AD to 1451 AD)
• BARBICAN (BARBICAN, Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• GATE (GATE, Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Full description

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Description from record TR 35 NW 15:
During the Middle Ages Sandwich was a defended town with five gates of which only two, Fishergate and the Barbican, now remain. A wall was constructed on the quayside with a ditch and rampart on the landward sides. The first reference to fortifications occurs in 1274-5. Murage grants were made during the late 14th century and considerable works were carried out in the 15th century. The town was attacked in 1400 and in 1438. In 1451, the north-east corner of the town was fortified with a stone-built, two-storey 'Bulwark". The latter was a considerable obstacle to the French when the town was attacked and partially burnt in 1457. The surviving 'Barbican' was an addition of 1538 covering the entrance to the town from the bridge over the river Stour. Canterbury Gate stood at the north-west corner of the town and was demolished c.1792.
Lengths of the moat were dredged in WW2 to create an anti-tank ditch.

From Register of Scheduled Monuments:
KE57: Townwall from Woodnesborough Gate to Canterbury Gate
Earth bank and ditch, the bank has been encroached on in places by later building development.{1} As on AM7. The earthbank has a path along it, about 2/3 of the way along this stretch from the Woodnesborough Gate there is a sluice and a stream/drain. ‘The Delft’ passes under the bank, at this point the town ditch seperates from the bank and is outside the scheduled area.{2}

Earth bank and ditch, bank is not well preserved in this section. As on AM7. The earth bank has path along it. At the Woodnesborough gate end, there is a stretch of old stone wall on top of the bank which might be of Medieval origin.

Bank is less pronounced here and in the side of the bank there is an old line of trees with some new planting. The ditch is a water course. (24)

From Register of Scheduled Monuments:
KE 59: Townwall from New Gate to Woodnesborough Gate
Earth bank and ditch, bank his not well preserved in this section.{1}
As on AM7. the earth bank has a path along it. At the Woodnesborough Gate end, there is a stretch of old stone wall on top of the bank which might be of Medieval origin.{2}
Bank is less pronounced here and in the side of the bank there is an old line of trees with some new planting. The ditch is a water course.{3}

From Register of Scheduled Monuments:
KE 58: Townwall from Gas works to NewGate
Earth bank and ditch. Sandown Bridge which stood outside the Sandown Gate is partly 16th century but was widened eight years ago.

The gasworks have gone, but at a point just east of Knightrider Street the course of the town walls is a flat recreation area with a path leading up to the start of the Town Walls walk at the north east corner. The wall turns in a south westerly direction at this corner and this is The Bulwark. At this point the earth bank has been fortified and the masonry is visible along this stretch to the Sandown gate. Just past the point where the Sandown road passes through the wall at the beginning of the Millwall Stretch, a small excavation has been fenced off. Near the site of Newgate and in the scheduled area is an electricity sub station.

In 1451, the E corner of the town was fortified with a two-storey erection, armed with guns and know as the Bulwark. It was to prove a considerable obstacle to the french attack of 1457, although the town was eventually sacked.

At the NE corner of the Bulwark, the bank is faced with modern stonework, but further S along the Bulwark original masonry is visible, but much smothered in vegetation and in places patched with brick, the area of the old excavations by Sandown Bridge is now overgrown. The Mill wall stretch of the defences is most impressive with the bank rising steeply above the ditch to a height of over 7m. (2)

From Register of Scheduled Monuments:
KE56a: Town wall about 150ft of flint core standing only about 3ft 6ins above ground in poor condition. No doubt more exists below the surface.{1}
Two stretches of flint core of wall – 15m. in length, a 10m. gap and a 5m. length, being part of section at NW corner of Town Walls, up to 1m high{2}

From Register of Scheduled Monuments:
KE56b: Town wall about 35ft of ashlar wall some 6 courses above a good plinth with 2 courses below. It supports the N wall of the Old East Kent Brewery, and forms the south bank of the Gestling.{1}
This monument does not appear to exist.{2}
There is no visible trace of ashlar walling. The N wall of the Mill is red brick.{3}

From Register of Scheduled Monuments:
KE56c: Used to be refered to as 56. Now 56c.
Stone wall in fair condition standing 20ft in height, in gardens of homes.{1}
A stretch of town wall stretching from No.66 to No.78 Strand Street.{2}


The earthwork defences are almost complete with a substantial length of wet ditch and rampart. The most impressive section is the south-east corner where the rampart is about 25ft above the level of the ditch which is dry at this point. At the north-east corner there is a length of flint masonry which probably represents the remains of the 15th century two-storey "Bulwark'. Part of the southern drum tower of the Sandown Gate (1455) remains where the line of the wall is crossed by Sandown Road. The masonry wall along the quayside of the town survives in places and at its most complete is c.14ft high. Fishergate is a three-storey structure, the upper floor being built in the late 16th century. The gateway of c.1384, was protected by a portcullis. The Barbican consists of the base of two drum-towers flanking a single archway with 16th century chequered bastions.
[Centred TR 33045786] Town Wall (NR) Course of (NAT). (1) [Centred on TR 3358] The defences of Sandwich were a wall on the N and W sides and a rampart on the remainder. They were built some time after 1384/5 and renewed temp Edward IV. The wall and the Fisher Gate are scheduled. (2-6) The town wall exists as a low flint wall, 1 m high, in fragments, from TR 32725853 to TR 32755855 in the garden of a private house; and as a restored brick wall with flint base from TR 32815853 to TR 32865851 along the backs of houses in Strand St. The core of the wall is revealed from TR 33495812 to TR 33495810 and at TR 33475805 where it is described as the Bulwall's in 1844 (a), and has been rebuilt into modern walling from TR 33295819 to TR 33305818. A rampart with outer ditch forms the remaining defence; it is mutilated in places and a footpath runs along it. The two gates still standing are the Barbican (see GP/ AO/64/141/6) and Fisher Gate (see GP/AO/64/138/3). The latter, according to a plaque, was built c1384. Restored by the Cooper's Guild c1560, and acquired by the Corporation c1780. Both are in good condition. Published 1/1250 survey revised. (7) The remains of the earth defences which protected the town can be traced with very little difficulty except along the riverside. The most impressive section is the SE corner, where the bank rises steeply above the ditch to a height of about 25 ft, 7.62 m. There were five gates in the circuit, of which only two now remain. That known as the Barbican is probably a mid C14 structure, and consists of two circular towers flanking a single archway. Only the base of the towers remains, standing to a height of about 10 ft, 3.05 m; a modern superstructure has been erected. Part of the wall remains on the W side. Fishergate, a three-storied building, has been dated to 1571, but this may refer only to the upper storey which is built in brick whereas the lower two are of flint. The rectangular plan makes it possible that the gate was originally erected in the C15. Canterbury Gate stood at the NW corner of the town, it was demolished about 1792, and consisted of two circular towers flanking a plain pointed archway. Excavations in 1929 uncovered half the plinth of the northern tower of the gates. It measured 13.5 ft, 4.11 m in diameter, and three courses of masonry remained to a height of 3.5 ft, 1.07 m. The outer face had a slight batter. Pottery was found, which was vaguely dated to the C14/15. There was also evidence of a destructive fire in the same period. The town, attacked in 1400 and 1438, was certainly burnt in 1457, and the gate might have been destroyed then. Engravings show Woodborough Gate was a rectangular structure, of two square towers flanking a single pointed archway. Sandown Gate is pictured as a square structure with two half-round towers of only slight projection flanking a single entrance. It is not clear at what date Sandwich was first defended. The town played a part in the Baron's Wars, although there are no specific references to fortifications until 1274-5 when the townsmen rebelled against unpopular civic arrangements. Their case was investigated, and judgement went against them. At the same time it was ordered that the trenches constructed during the late disturbance in the realm should be filled in and levelled with earth, and that the Barbican and the rest of the fortifications constructed to oppose the King should be taken down, and removed to Dover Castle at the expense of the commonalty. The ring-leaders suffered a short spell of imprisonment, but whether any steps were taken to fill in the defences is not known. The Barbican was presumably a wooden structure, possibly very similar to the wooden wall which Walsingham described as having been brought to the town in 1386. The townsmen received permission to levy murage for a period of seven years in 1321, but although the town was an important base during the Hundred Years War, by comparison with the issue of murage grants to other towns in the area little seems to have been done towards fortifying it against attack. In 1339 all those who had left the town to avoid paying for its fortification were ordered to return, but there is no other indication that defence was seriously contemplated. In 1385 Sir Simon BarlDover Castle, was ordered to summon before him all who held soil not built on, in perilous places in Sandwich, and to instruct them to fortify the town. The rents and profits of the lands concerned were to be used to pay for the work, but the commonalty, also received a grant from the customs for two years, and a further grant of murage for two years in 1387. It was said that the town had been weakened by plagues and other grievous calamities and it had not been possible to finish the fortifications they had begun. Barley was also empowered to impress masons, carpenters and other labourers for the work. Sandwich is peculiar amongst the towns of England in that considerable effort was expended on the fortification of the town in the C15. There seems th have been an effort to wall the town in stone, though no trace of stonework remains, as well as the building of the gates. Thus in 1405 the mayor and commonalty received a grant of murage for seven years, which was renewed in 1412 for the same term. The Hornblow in 1436 ordered that the ditches were to be scoured and cleansed. Earth walls were to be raised on the W side of the town, perhaps implying that hitherto it had been undefended, and a month later, it was decided to dig up the road to Worth and all other roads and also to continue the wall of the town to the Delf. Planks were to be placed over the town doors neighbouring the Haven, and within the walls, so that men could cross from house to house for the defence of the town. Those dwelling on the sea-front were to collect "balestones" and to put them on their quays to be ready for attack. The cost of these preparations was met by a tax on properties in the town. In 1451 the SE corner of the town was fortified with a two storey erection, armed with guns and known as the "Bulwark". In 1456 the council decided to press ahead with the Newgate, apparently already begun in the S walls, and ordered also that strict watch should be kept every night. These preparations were made under growing threat of attack from France, a fear which materialised in August 1457. John de Waurin’s account of the attack shows that the "Bulwark" provided a considerable obstacle to attackers, although the tower was eventually sacked. In the following years, efforts to improve the fortifications continued. In 1458 the council began to collect up old debts, and a new rate of taxation on properties in the town was imposed. Timber and nails were obtained through the purchase of two hulks, at a total cost of £3 6s 8d. Repair work was carried out at the Great Bulwark, and it was decided to erect a second, of brick, near Fishergate. In 1461 a grant of £100 annually was made to the mayor and barons, to which they were to add £20 for the repairs. The accounts for some of this money are enrolled on the Memoranda Rolls. This grant was replaced in 1465 by exemption from the payment of various customs duties, a privilege which was renewed in 1477. Accounts for work done between 1464 and 1474 survive amongst Exchequer accounts. They suggest that much of the work was concerned with the erection of stone walls, since a considerable quantity of stone was bought. There is mention also of the purchase of "15 crenells" in 1471-2, surely an indication that is was the wall itself, as well as Dorlby Gate, mentioned in the account for 1466-7, that was under construction. Finally in 1483 the mayor and barons received a grant of £100 from the customs. (8)
Description of excavations at Rope Walk, Sandwich (A cut was made) through the "scheduled" medieval town-bank close to the site of the Woodnes borough Gate. The bank, sterile dumped clay, was at least 12 m wide at the base and still some 1.5 m high. Beneath the bank was an extensive area of metalling traced for at least 17m. The central section was laid on a thick bed of rammed chalk and the S section consisted of pebble and flint. The N section contained four successive beds of metalling running at the tail of the bank. The few finds tend to confirm a C15 date for the bank whilst the underlying deposits may relate to the Whitefriars monastery. (9)
(General discussion of the Anglo-Saxon and Medieval origins of Sandwich and the development of the town and port). In the C14 to C15 a new defensive rampart and ditch with masonry gates was built around the city (see illustration card no 1). (10)
(Description of the excavations at Sandwich castle). Mention of a large ditch 14.25 m wide by 4.5m deep containing C13 pottery in the primary fill. (11)
As a result of flooding on the E coast in January 1978, the Sandown Bridge, which leads across the Town Moat on the E side of the city (illustration card no 2), was damaged. Early in February workmen from the Kent County Council started restoration work and the filling of the central part of the bridge was removed so that it could be replaced with reinforced concrete. During the course of removal of this filling the foundations of the original 1706 bridge were found and just on the western edge of the excavation the front of the Sandown Gate was uncovered. The gate itself had been demolished in 1781-2, but part of the southern drum tower has always been visible in the grass bank on the western edge of the Town Moat and until 1923, when the bridge was widened, more of it must have been visible. The gate itself, which was constructed in 1455 just before the great French raid of 1457, was made entirely of red-orange bricks and then plastered over. Only the upper quoins on either side of the gateway arch were of stone (see illustration card no 3) and some worked blocks of stone, which were found in the rubble fill of the later bridge, must also have come from the gate (see illustration card no 4). Some of these stone were presumably parts of the vault in the gateway while others were for window jambs and the top of the main arch. The bricks used for the gate were fairly hard-fired and varied in colour from red to orange or even orangey-yellow. They were all 0.24m by 0.12m by 0.06m, 9.5 in by 4.75 in by 2.25 in, which is a size found in several late C15 brick buildings in E Kent "for example, these are almost exactly the dimension of the red bricks used in the 1490’s in the "Bell Harry" tower at Canterbury Cathedral". All the bricks used in the drum towers of the gate were laid as "headers" and the walls were here about 0.76m, 2.5ft, thick i.e. three bricks laid longways. It was not possible to see the thickness of the walls flanking the gateway itself. Blocking the gateway, which was 2.25m, 7.4ft, wide was a later wall of yellow to buff bricks. These were laid in an English bond and had dimensions 0.12m by 0.11m by 0.06m, 8.25 in by 4 in by 2.3 in, and may perhaps have been put three in the C16 or early C17 to raise the height of the road passing through the arch when a new bridge over the moat was made. All that can be said with certainty is that this yellow blocking was made before 1706 when the present bridge was first constructed. This bridge, which is shown with the gate in a mid-C18 engraving in Boys’Collections for an History of Sandwich in Kent etc was constructed up against the drum towers of the gate and had central road supports which butted against the yellow brick blocking. The gate itself was probably demolished in 1782 and subsequently the parapets of the bridge were built over the drum towers, which were clearly only dismantled t… (truncated sentence in the old SMR) …. m, 8ft, in height of the gate must still survive below ground. In 1923, the northern parapet of the bridge was demolished and a new wider bridge was constructed (see illustration card no 3). This completely covered and partly damaged the front of the northern drum tower. On 7 February 1978 the surviving remains within the bridge were buried in concrete after being covered by plastic sheeting. (12)
Note on excavations of the Sandown Gate. (13)
Note on the excavations and reinforcement of the Sandown. (14)
A perambulation of Sandwich (notes on the Antiquities of Sandwich). (15)
Evaluation work at Guestling Mill uncovered part of the town wall showing two phases of building (TR3293158475) . Phase one approx 45cm wide of large aggregate sandstone blocks in a light buff sandy mortar. The slim width of this wall may be due to it being cut back prior to the next phase of construction. This was 1.1m wide with smaller sandstone blocks along with bricks, flint and occasional chalk blocks set in mid grey-brown mortar. The east end of this section of the wall had been cut away and re-surfaced with Sandwich bricks. It is suggested that this may be evidence of a portal or postern gate giving access to the Guestling following the French raid of 1455.(19)

Evaluation in March 2002 at Quay Cottage, Sandwich recorded a negative result of absence of the Medieval town wall. (22)

Watching Brief July 1995 at Mill Wall, evidence that ramparts are constructed from dumps of local alluvial clay.(23)

Downman, Revd E A: Surveys c1900 (Collection). SKE6483.

Downman, Revd E A: Surveys c1900 (Collection). SKE6483.

<1> OS 25" 1956 (OS Card Reference). SKE48271.

<1> Victor Smith and Andrew Saunders, 2001, Kent's Defence Heritage (Unpublished document). SKE6956.

<2> History of Kent 4 1799 250-1 (E Hasted) (OS Card Reference). SKE44118.

<2> English Heritage, Register of Scheduled Monuments (Scheduling record). SKE16191.

<3> History of Kent 1719 271 (J Harris) (OS Card Reference). SKE44098.

<4> Arch J 86 1930 289-90 map (AW Clapham) (OS Card Reference). SKE36742.

<5> Sandwich Official Guide 13 21 (OS Card Reference). SKE49401.

<6> AM England and Wales 1961 59 (OS Card Reference). SKE33022.

<7> The Map Sandwich St Clements dated 1844 (OS Card Reference). SKE50406.

<8> F1 FGA 17-JUN-64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42933.

<9> Town Defences in England and Wales 1971 163-165 (HL Turner) (OS Card Reference). SKE50610.

<10> Medieval Architecture 24 1980 253 (B Philp and K Parfitt) (OS Card Reference). SKE46857.

<11> Anglo-Saxon Towns in Southern England 1984 1-4 16-21 (J Haslam ed) (OS Card Reference). SKE33096.

<12> Medieval Architecture 28 1984 225 (P Bennett and P Blockley) (OS Card Reference). SKE46859.

<13> Arch Cant 94 1978 153-155 (TT Brown) (OS Card Reference). SKE36175.

<14> CBA Arch in Britain 1978 1979 67 (OS Card Reference). SKE38754.

<15> KAR 52 1978 29 (OS Card Reference). SKE45359.

<16> Arch J 126 1969 220-1 (EW Parkin) (OS Card Reference). SKE36541.

<17> Field report for monument TR 35 NW 15 - June, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE6038.

<18> Dover Archaeological Group, 1992, Report on an Archaeological Wathcing Brief at The Bulwarks, Sandwich (Unpublished document). SKE6744.

<19> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1997, An Archaeological Evaluation at Guestling Mill, Strand Street in Sandwich (Unpublished document). SKE7197.

<20> Dover Archaeological Group, 1998, Report on an Archaeological Watching Brief at The Butts, Sandwich (Unpublished document). SKE7478.

<21> Dover Archaeological Group, 1999, Report on an Archaeological Watching Brief at the Rope Walk, Sandwich (Unpublished document). SKE7520.

<22> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2002, Evaluation at Quay Cottage, Sandwich (Unpublished document). SKE8119.

<23> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1995, Archaeological Watching Brief at Mill Lane, Sandwich (Unpublished document). SKE8351.

<24> English Heritage, Register of Scheduled Monuments (Scheduling record). SKE16191.

Sources and further reading

Related records

Related thematic articles

• Medieval Kent (Thematic Essay)
• The Defence of Kent (Thematic Essay)