Golf Courses in  Sandwich, Kent

Royal Saint Georges golf course:
Sandwich Bay, Tel: (01304) 613090. 18 hole championship course, about 1mile from Sandwich

Princes golf course:
Sandwich Bay Tel: (01304) 613797. 27 hole course just over 2 miles from Sandwich. See Bell Hotel in the accommodation section for golfing breaks.

Royal Cinque Ports golf course:
Golf Road, Deal. Tel: (01304) 374328. 18 hole course about 2 miles from Sandwich

Other courses near Sandwich:

Stonelees golf course & driving range, Ebbsfleet Lane, nr Ebsfleet. (01843) 823133, 3mile from Sandwich

St Augustines, Cottington Road, Cliffsend, Ramsgate. (01843) 50903337, 5mile from Sandwich

Walmer & Kingsdown, The Leas, Kingsdown, Deal. (01304) 373256. 6mile from Sandwich

North Foreland, Convent Road, Broadstairs. (01843) 862140, 8mile from Sandwich

Westgate & Birchington, 176 Canterbury Road, Westgate-On-Sea. (01843) 831115, 9miles from Sandwich

Broome Park, Canterbury Road, Barham, Canterbury. (01227) 831701, 10mile from Sandwich

Canterbury, Littlebourne Road, Canterbury. (01227) 453532, 12mile from Sandwich

Herne Bay, Bullockstone Road, Herne Bay. (01227) 742742, 14mile from Sandwich

Chestfield, 103 Chestfield Road, Chestfield, Whitstable. (01227) 79441, 16mile from Sandwich

Villages near Sandwich, Kent

Ash:
Formerly on the main thoroughfare from Canterbury to Sandwich, Ash would have seen many famous historical travellers, including the Kings and Queens of England. It has now been bypassed and enjoys the gentle bustle of local village life. Once part of the Royal manor of Wingham and having been given to the See of Canterbury in 850 AD by King Athelstan,  Ash became a separate parish in 1282. It is one of the largest in Kent The lovely church of St Nicholas was probably built on the site of an early saxon building, and dates partly from the 12th century. The highly visible tower and steeple were once used as navigation aids. They now house a ring of 10 bells. There is a collection of medieval monumental effigies inside and amongst the brasses you will find one to Jane Kerriel (c 1455) which reveals a unique horse-shoe head-dress. In Ash Street you can discover 11 of the 12 original manor houses and several medieval houses amongst many fine period homes. The Chequer Inn was a timbered hall house dating from c1500. Just opposite is a car park and public convenience. There are a few shops, hairdressers and a post office. The vineyard at Ash Coombe offers tastings and tours.

Eastry:
Dating from Anglo-Saxon times, its name derives from Eastorege which means the eastern district. The conservation area with attractive mixed period houses centres around the church of St Mary the Blessed Virgin. There is a Norman doorway and windows while the nave is probably 13th century. The five rows of medallion frescoes above the chancel were only discovered a century ago and have recently been restored. One of Eastry’s four windmills remains in Mill Lane, it dates from 1740. The village has several shops and a post office on the main street which having been by-passed is now pleasantly peaceful. Early closing day is on Thursday and lunchtime closing is still observed.

Ham:
Delightful little hamlet of thatched cottages, victorian terrace, renovated farm buildings and lovely old manor house located along picturesque narrow lanes. Disused church now renovated as stained glass workshop and home. Food available at the Blazing Donkey which is set in landscaped gardens. Look out for the much photographed Ham-Sandwich signpost at the West Street junction.

Finglesham:
Just off the A258, this quaint, peaceful hamlet has several notable period homes and some attractive barn conversions. There is a plant nursery and an excellent award winning country pub, The Crown Inn which has a 16th century restaurant with oak beams, flagstone floors and an inglenook fireplace.

Woodnesborough:
Sometimes called Winsborough, the village is reputedly named after the saxon god Woden. At one time the sea came close to the hill on which you can see the church and the original spire was used by sailors to find their way into Sandwich without becoming grounded on the Goodwin sands. The decaying spire was little use after the Stour silted up and it was replaced with a cupola in the 18th century.

Worth:
Picturesque village set amidst orchards and fields, with central conservation area arranged around a pretty duck pond which formerly marked the end of a navigable creek. Many fine period houses including Barton House which graces the front of the area ordnance survey map. The historic church of St Peter and St Paul has Norman origins, unusual wooden shingles on the tower and a roof  reminiscent of an upturned boat which supposedly is where the design originated. There are two popular pubs with restaurants, including the award winning St Crispin Inn, a newspaper kiosk, a farm shop, and garden centre. A playing field at the crossroads provides child play apparatus and frequently hosts cricket matches and village events in the summer.

Pubs, Inns and Restaurants in Sandwich, Kent & the surrounding area:

Countryside:

Crown Inn Finglesham:
Award winning country pub with 16th century restaurant. Oak beams, flagstones and inglenook fireplace contribute to bygone atmosphere. Real ales and good varied bar snack and restaurant menus available daily for lunch and evening meals. Log fire in winter and attractive garden with child play facilities. Very popular so booking recommended. Contact (01304) 612555

St Crispin Inn, Worth:
Award winning  15th century pub with restaurant at the centre of picturesque conservation village. Warming log fires in winter, delightful gardens for warmer weather and wonderful refurbished bars featuring mellow red brick and original beams contribute to the welcoming ambience. Bar, kiddies and  restaurant menus offer great food prepared with finest local produce. Real ales feature. Do book. Contact Tel:01304 612081 Fax:01304 614838

The Charity Inn Woodnesborough:
Historic village pub with inglenook fireplace and stone flag floors. Inexpensive simple bar menus for lunch and evening meals. Car park, beer patio, darts and toddlers toys available.  Contact 01304 613189

In Sandwich:

Bella Amalfi Italian Restaurant Sandwich:
Child friendly pizzeria and trattoria with Italian staff offering real Italian food. Pizza’s made to order in full view and cooked in a traditional wood burning pizza oven provides great entertainment for the kids. Excellent pasta and traditional meat and fish dishes prepared with fresh ingredients and traditional herbs. Very reasonably priced and popular on weekend evenings so book in advance. Take away available. Contact 01304 620777

Bell Hotel, Sandwich, Kent:
Overlooking the Barbican, The Place is the newly refurbished contemporary styled brasserie where fresh local foods are simply cooked to bring out their natural flavours.  Tel:01304 613388 Fax 615308

George & Dragon Inn Sandwich:
Located off the beaten track in Fisher Street, has earned a reputation for good food and drink in pleasant surroundings at reasonable prices. Can be very busy so book ahead. Contact 01304 613106

Kings Arms Hotel Sandwich (see accommodation):
Traditional English Inn, circa 1580 with a Les Routiers recommended restaurant. The original charm and character has been retained over the years leaving it unspoilt and an ideal place to relax and unwind. Log fire in winter. Parking. Contact: 01304617330

Tourist attractions in Sandwich and the surrounding area.

The Sandwich area is rich in visitor attractions including museums, Roman ruins, river trips and for the more energetic walking and cycling. Please select a category from the drop down menu for further information on the different attractions.

The original Sandwich haven was a safe natural harbour for ships traveling between the continent and London, and by the eleventh to thirteenth centuries the town had become an important major port. Its wealth lead to repeated raids by the Danes and the French and the town protected itself with fortified walls and a great boom which prevented passage of ships up the river Stour.

The alliance between the other important ports of Hastings, Rye, Hythe and Dover lead to the formation of the Cinque Ports which in return for providing ships and seamen were granted many privileges and freedoms.  Tax and toll free trading was permitted and the five towns had their own courts to deal with their own affairs. At their height only the Church and the Monarch were more powerful.

Many famous and important people have passed through the town, notably Thomas a Becket during his escape from Henry II and Richard the Lionheart on his return from the crusades. The Black Prince brought King John of France back as prisoner from his victory in Poitiers. Several Kings and Queens of England have visited, and Elizabeth the Ist was entertained in Sandwich to try to persuade her to help restore the harbour when it started to silt up and the towns fortunes went into decline. Sandwich is now two miles inland and the famous golf courses of Royal St Georges and Princes now occupy the once flourishing port.

Protestants fleeing persecution in the Netherlands and France settled after 1560 and introduced dyke drainage to permit market gardening, weaving and other skills such as clay tile making which give us our characteristic Kent peg tiles, as well as numerous dutch gabled houses. Sandwich became a peaceful market town though involved in emigrations to New England and in the Napoleonic wars. The haven was used again in 1914-18 when a secret port known as Richborough was built to supply the forces in France, and in the second world war provided accommodation for German refugees.

Now the port area has been developed as an impressive industrial estate  housing  the worlds largest drug company Pfizer as well as local companies. The lovely old town is enjoying new prosperity in association with the companys’ growth and tourism as Sandwich is arguably the most complete medieval historic town in England. The central conservation areas’ narrow twisting street plan remains essentially unchanged since the Domesday book, and visitors can enjoy the pretty little houses in their original layout.

Once the major port in England but now two miles from the sea, Sandwich is arguably one of the best preserved medieval towns in the UK. Within the old town walls the many period houses, with their characteristic “Kent peg” roofs, are laid out in a street plan which has changed little since the creation of the Domesday book in 1086.

Discoversandwich.co.uk is a website dedicated to providing you with ideas on what to do, places to visit, where to eat and where to stay in Sandwich and the Kent villages of Ash, Eastry, Finglesham, Ham, Woodnesborough & Worth. For hotels, bed and breakfast & self catering lodgings see accommodation.

Just 15 – 20 minutes drive from the Cathedral City of Canterbury and Port of Dover, a little further from the UK end of the Channel Tunnel and 1½-2 hours from London. Why not pay the town of Sandwich and this lovely corner of Kent a visit soon?