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.