Sandwich - The 'Completest Medieval Town in England'

The work undertaken by the present project ensures that Sandwich is one of the best-understood historic towns in England.' ~Christopher Catling, Current Archaeology, vol XXI, No. 3, 2010

Anyone interested in Sandwich and its history will be thrilled with this substantial volume. Beautifully illustrated with colour photographs, it is an authoritative account.' ~Jonathan Fryer, Journal of Kent History, Issue 71, September 2010

[an] outstanding contribution to the study of urban vernacular architecture... [a] model for the quantity and quality of work that a small group of individuals can achieve.' ~C. R. J. Currie, Vernacular Architecture, Vol. 41, 2010

An impressive attempt has been made to meld together the disciplines informing topography and urban morphology, together with archaeological, architectural and historical investigations, rather than providing a collection of individually authored essays with only loose connecting strands... This is a very important and well-produced book, successfully extending the use of interdisciplinary studies, and it has set the standard very high for new studies of other towns.' ~Elizabeth Edwards, Archaeologia Cantiana, Vol 131, 2011

[Behind] a chronologically structured account of the origins and development of the town and its standing buildings from the eleventh to the seventeenth centuries, lies a wealth of scholarly research - the product of nearly two decades of study and one that synthesizes historical and archaeological data from several different disciplines and scholars. It thus provides one of the best examples of a truly multidisciplinary study of a medieval town.' ~Kate Giles, Antiquaries Journal, 2011

A definitive study of the origins and evolution of the town and port... the reader, attracted by the excellence of the illustrations, the clarity of the maps and the effective use of modern colour photography on details of buildings, will not be disappointed.' ~Lawrence Lyle, Friends of the Canterbury Archaeological Trust Newsletter, No. 82, Summer 2010

The treatment of the micro-topography, through the use of close contour surveys, is a model which all future urban (and rural) studies should strive to emulate. The inclusion of the basic street plan with street names and parish and property boundaries as end papers is but one example of the thoughtful and user-friendly use of maps and plans to illustrate and support the text which is shown throughout the volume.' ~Jeremy Haslam, Journal of the Medieval Settlement Research Group, 2010

So often what claims to be an interdisciplinary study is nothing more than a series of essays written by individual experts. Sandwich was promoted as being different, with all authors contributing to each section. This aim has been fully attained... For anyone interested in medieval towns, this study deserves to head reading lists for many years to come.' ~David Martin, Sussex Past & Present, No. 122

It is a splendid account that has taken full advantage of developments in publishing and is a visual delight... The authors are to be congratulated on achieving their aims and providing this splendid account of the town and the port. This book should be on the shelves of all those interested not only in urban development and the Cinque Ports, but also in the history of Kent.' ~Duncan Harrington, The Local Historian, vol 41, No. 2