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Discover Sandwich, Kent

The Guildhall Museum and Town Archive, Sandwich, KentThe Guildhall Museum and Town Archive, Sandwich, Kent: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Guildhall,_Cattle_Market,_Sandwich._-_geograph.org.uk_-_471597.jpg
Author: Ray
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Sandwich is a historic town in the district of Dover, in Kent, England. Located on the River Stour, it has a population of around 7,000 people (2012 estimate).

Sandwich is of course the town that gives its name to the snack comprising two pieces of bread. It is credited to John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, in the 18th century. The earl allegedly ordered his valet to bring him meat between two pieces of bread. This proved to be popular, and the snack became known as sandwich.

The area around on the banks of the River Stour has been inhabited since prehistory. The Romans staged their invasion of Britain by landing here in AD 43. They built a fort at Richborough. During the Saxon period, there was a town on the opposite side of the mouth of the River Stour. It was called Stonar. The town grew to considerable significance but then declined, and by the 14th century, had disappeared almost without a trace.

The Admiral Owen pub in SandwichThe Admiral Owen pub in Sandwich: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Admiral_Owen,_Sandwich,_Kent.JPG
Author: stavros1
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In 1255, the first captive elephant arrived in England via the Port of Sandwich. It was a gift by the French king to Henry III, and it was taken on foot all the way to the king's zoo at the Tower of London.

In 1560, there was an influx of Dutch settlers. They brought with them skills and farming technique that proved beneficial. They were also instrumental in introducing celebry to England. The Huguenot refugees also brought silk weaving techniques that boosted Kent's textile industry.

Today Sandwich is a quiet English town. It is home to a research and development facility run by Pfizer UK. It was here that Viagra was discovered.

Visiting Sandwich

From London, take the A2 road until Canterbury, then continue east on the A257 road to reach Sandwich.

St Peter's Church, SandwichSt Peter's Church, Sandwich: Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:StPetersChurch.Sandwich.jpg
Author: China Crisis
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Places of Interest in Sandwich


  1. Admiral Owen: 15th century timber-framed building that houses a pub.

  2. Sandwich Guildhall: Historic building erected in 1579, today a Grade II* listed building.

  3. St Peter's Church, Sandwich: Redundant Anglican church, today a Grade I listed building under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.

  4. White Mill: The only surviving windmill in Sandwich. It was built in 1760and was operational until 1957. Today it is part of a heritage and folk museum.

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Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.
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