TR 331 581. Sandwich. (1) Sandwich is first mentioned as a borough with the same character as Dover in 1086. In 1070 and 1086 the charters of Odo Bishop of Bayeux and William I granting S to Christ Church Canterbury. (2)

TR329584. Saxon Sandwich - settlement, town, and port sited generally to Sandwich.

Sandwich is one of a number of places on either side of the North Sea and English Channel with the element `-wic' indicating an early trading place. It lies at the Southern end of the Wantsum Channel, and presumably served the same function as Richborough Roman settlement as both a trading centre and strongpoint guarding the channel.
The earliest mention of Sandwich is in 664-5 when St Wilfrid arrived there. A law code of King Hlothhere of Kent in the late C7th mentioning reeves in trading settlements indicates that there were increasing trading relations between Kent and the Frisians. By the mid C9th Sandwich was a major trading centre.
King Athelstan of Wessex defeated a great Danish fleet at Sandwich in 851. Both Danes and English used the haven for fleet assemblage throughout the Viking period.
In 1023 Sandwich was granted to Christ Church Canterbury, and this is the first mention of Sandwich as a port. (3)

Historic England archive material: ME001517 Annotated plan with six profiles showing the castle and the standing and destroyed parts of the town wall The plan also shows the position of the river Stour and two streams running along the south west side of the wall. The sites of three churches and the kings castle are also shown

Urban and Economic Development Group, 1992, Sandwich Looks Forward (Monograph). SKE6741.

Urban and Economic Development Group, 1992, Sandwich Looks Forward (Monograph). SKe6741.

<1> OS 10,000 1975 (OS Card Reference). SKE48236.

<2> Beresford, M.W. & Finberg, H.P.R. English Md Broughs. 1973, 130 (OS Card Reference). SKE37635.

<3> Anglo-Saxon Towns in Southern England 1984 1-4 16-21 (J Haslam ed) (OS Card Reference). SKE33096.