Sandwich Walk: Town Centre【4K】

Located in the county of Kent, and around 70 miles east, and slightly south, of central London, is the town of Sandwich.

The town's name is derived from Old English for 'trading centre on the sand'. Today it is around two miles inland, but historically was located on the coast. During the medieval era it was a key port town.

In the early 11th century King Canute granted a charter to the monks of Christ Church, Canterbury, to operate a ferry crossing between Sandwich and the Isle of Thanet. This was at a time when Thanet was an island separated from the mainland, which remained the case until around the 17th or 18th century. Nevertheless, a tolled crossing into Sandwich via the River Stour has been in place all the way up to 1977. The first bridge was opened in the 18th century, and later replaced by the current swing bridge in 1892.

During the medieval era, Sandwich was a member of the Confederation of Cinque Ports (a term derived from old Norman French, pronounced 'sink ports' in the anglicised fashion) alongside other southeastern towns, specifically Dover, Romney, Hastings and Hythe (and later, Rye and Winchelsea). The Cinque Ports provided naval and ferry services to the crown in return for tax exemption and other benefits.

To protect against attacks from overseas, a series of fortifications were built in Sandwich from the 14th century under orders from Richard II. These included town walls and gates. One gate from this period remains standing in the town to this day, namely Fisher Gate (featured just after the 8-minute mark). These fortifications were put to the test in August 1457 when Sandwich was raided and sacked by the French. The invaders were around 4,000-strong and came mostly from Honfleur in Normandy. Many citizens were killed including the Mayor of Sandwich. Today Honfleur is a twin town of Sandwich, presumably as a reconciliatory gesture.

Between 1560 and 1640 many thousands of Dutch and Flemish Protestant refugees fled from the Spanish Netherlands and moved to England, some of whom settled in Sandwich. From here they were able to carry out their trade as skilled weavers from some of the historical cottages seen in the town.

Two churches of particular note stand in the town centre. The first is St Clement's Church (seen just after the 5-minute mark). This was built in the 12th century, with 13th & 14th century additions. Its tower was built by the Normans, and is made of Caen stone transported across the English Channel. The second is St Peter's Church (seen just after the 18-and-a-half minute mark). This also has its origins in the Norman era, however it is thought to have been destroyed by the French in 1216 and later rebuilt in the 13th & 14th centuries. Of particular note is the tower which was rebuilt in the 17th century by Flemish weavers, who used this as a centre for their worship, having fled their homelands due to their Protestant faith. The church itself was made redundant in 1948 as St Clement's became the parish church of Sandwich. St Peter's is now used for community events.

In 1660 the noble title 'Earl of Sandwich' was created by the House of Montagu. The 4th Earl of Sandwich was John Montagu (1718-1792). The legend goes that Montagu was an avid gambler, and didn't like to take time out from the card table to have a mean. Instead, he asked his servants to bring him slices of meat between two slices of bread. Other people at the table were intrigued, and asked for the "same as Sandwich". How much of this story is true is unknown, but either way this portable meal called a "sandwich", needless to say, took the world by storm.

In 1847 the railway arrived in Sandwich. Today, trains to and from London take between around 100 and 160 minutes depending on the route with some going via Dover and Folkestone, and others going via Ramsgate and the north coast of Kent.

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Filmed: 28th March 2023

Link to the walk on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/NiTYPM4HBxBsuqeN6

Filmed on a Sony FDR-AX700 with a Zhiyun Crane 2 and a Sony ECM-XYST1M Stereo Microphone.

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 King Street
3:03 The Chain
4:19 Church Street
5:04 St Clement's Church
5:55 Knightrider Street (no, really)
6:03 Knightrider Street
7:30 The Quay
9:55 Sandwich Toll Bridge
11:25 High Street
12:08 Strand Street
16:40 Harnet Street
16:49 The Butchery
17:49 Market Street
18:38 St Peter's Church
19:31 King Street
19:59 No Name Street
20:21 New Street
21:17 Cattle Market
22:08 Moat Sole
23:34 St Thomas's Hospital (14th century almshouse)