The beautiful UK market town with Roman ruins and medieval buildings
As one of the UK's best-preserved medieval towns, this charming location is lined with cobbled streets, timber-framed buildings, Roman ruins and a beach.
Sandwich offers so much more than just a quirky name. Strolling through its narrow, cobbled streets, you’ll find centuries-old medieval and timber-framed buildings, independent shops, quaint tea rooms and quiet corners that feel frozen in time. It was once a thriving coastal port until the Wantsum Channel, which connected it to the sea, gradually silted up in the Middle Ages, leaving the town two miles inland. For those who still want some sea air, however, the Sandwich & Pegwell Bay National Nature Reserve is only two miles away and has salt marshes, sand dunes, rare birds and seasonal wildflowers ideal for coastal walks.
The 13th-century St. Peter’s Church and the ancient town walls mirror the town's rich past as one of the former Cinque Ports of England. Located on the banks of the River Stour in Kent, Sandwich was originally founded as a Saxon settlement and then significantly during the Roman era, with the nearby Richborough Roman Fort marking one of the earliest sites of Roman arrival in Britain.
Dating back to the 14th century, the Barbican once served as a fortified gateway into the town and the adjacent toll bridge still operates today, collecting small fees from vehicles crossing into Sandwich similar to how it operated centuries ago.
Just outside the town lies the Roman ruins of Richborough Roman Fort are thought to be one of the first Roman landing sites in Britain.
If you're lucky enough to find yourself in Sandwich on a lovely sunny day, make sure to catch a boat trip from the quay and you might just spot seals basking in the nearby estuary, or take a walk around The Salutation gardens with its kitchen garden, a tropical garden, and an extensive collection of dahlias.
The town is home to historic pubs such as the Crispin Inn, which dates back to 1491. Originally built as a dwelling house, it still retains much of its original charm with oak beams, open fires, beamed ceilings, and wooden floors while also having a riverside patio and serving traditional pub foods and real ales.
Don't miss: The beautiful little market town in the UK that used to be by the sea
Don't miss: Britain's best 16 seaside towns picked by US website and 4 are in one county
Don't miss: Fury in UK town as bins haven't been collected in 5 weeks - 'nightmare!'
A TripAdvisor user from Chippenham wrote about Richborough Roman Fort and Amphitheatre: "Why don’t more people know about this place!? Richborough (Roman Rutupiae) it the site of the first major Roman fort in Britain and once housed the biggest triumphal arch in the whole of the Roman Empire!"
Another TripAdvisor user also wrote about the town: "Sandwich is a delightful, unspoiled town with many medieval buildings. We enjoyed walking around the town and following the line of the old walls. This is a very tranquil place."
Someone else from Yaxley said: "Sandwich is packed with history. A walk around the old town walls provides all the info you need to appreciate the history of the place. The whole town is well kept and maintained.
"It’s fascinating to wonder round and admire the many pieces of medieval architecture that survive today. The Saxon Way runs from the coastal path, through the town and along the river Stour … walk as much of it as you can!"
