Sandwich

We’ve been staying down at the parental pile for a few days, and taking things a bit more relaxed than the somewhat frenetic pace of the past week or so. On Sunday we had a stroll around Sandwich town, which is full of picturesqueness and history. We stopped in at the Medieval Centre, where people are undertaking a number of projects, including building a medieval-style boat, and reviving arts such as blacksmithing to make arrowheads, calligraphy, and weaving, using traditional materials and methods. 

On Monday, our best-laid plan was to visit the Roman fort and amphitheatre at Richborough. “Best just check what time it’s open”, I said, and looked online. It’s closed until 2023, for, um, renovations.

Undeterred, we decided to check out Walmer and Deal castles. These are two of three castles built by Henry VIII as part of a plan to fortify the whole of the south and east coasts of England. They weren’t all built, but a string of three (Walmer, Deal and Sandown) were completed. Sandown has now been reclaimed by the sea as the coastline of East Kent has changed over the centuries, although some of the stone used was recycled to build the gatehouse at Walmer. Walmer Castle is a working residential castle and has been the official residence of the Warden of the Cinque Ports for centuries. These include such historic personages as the Duke of Wellington, Pitt the Younger, and the Queen Mother. There’s a lot of historical artefacts on display, including Wellington’s Wellington Boots. The gardens are also extensive, with the recently-opened Queen Mother’s garden a new addition. 

About a mile or so up the coast is Deal Castle. This is now empty, with the wall still standing but no content similar to Walmer. All three castles were built to the same design, with rounded bastions inside a wall and moat. The rounded bastions are to deflect cannonballs, as they need to hit at exactly 90° to cause any damage – if the hit at even a slight angle they will skid off the walls. There was information about the castle and the various threats, but it didn’t occupy us as long as Walmer Castle did.

Deal Castle is dead inside

Sattie then took us a roundabout way home so we missed seeing the Deal seafront and the centre of town.

In the evening I looked up an old friend who lives just down the road, and we went out for some beers and a curry.