Aspects of Kentish Local History

"Stonard ys yn Thanet sumtyme a prety town not far from Sandwich! Now appereth alonly the ruine of the chirch. Sum people cawle yt Old Sandwiche."

THUS Leland's Itinerary of 1549. No survey of the site of this once famous town, originally built presumably more or less round the church on the 12 acres "of stone bache,"¹ has been made but the shingle bank, which seems from the historic period to have been above the level of storm and tide, is now being proved to have been chosen for permanent settlement. The records of destruction by the sea probably relate to the spread of the town on to the flood plain, and towards the ferry across the Stour. In 1127 (A.C., LIV, 49, and Boys, 553) it was complained at Sandwich that some persons have begun to build small houses on the opposite side of the haven at the place called Stonore where ships went in fine weather so that they might stop there, and toll and custom taken ...... "which should have been collected by the officers of Sandwich." 
The excavations which have been carried on for the last few years on sites on the shingle show no evidence of destructive flooding, although there is no doubt, as

mentioned later, that changes of level have and are constantly taking place.
   The shingle bank, which evidently acted as a breakwater for the shipping landing cargoes at wharves on its landward side at an earlier date than 1127, must have shown a scene of desolation when the town was derelict. William Somner (Roman Ports and Forts in Kent, 1693, 96) describes Stonar as "being a low and flat level apt to inundations." He probably was looking at the place from Sandwich while Dr. Richard Pocock (Travels through England) noticed in his journey south from Ramsgate on September 12th, 1754, that he had a "broad gravelly beach to the left most part of the way, and consequently the sea must sometime overflow in some degree." Barren shingle would suggest this last sentence to the passing traveller.
   On destruction wrought by the sea in this area it is worth quoting what William Dugdale² records for us:
   ¹ Boys's Sandwich, p. 835.
    ² The History of Imbanking and Drayning of divers Fenns and marshes both in Foreign Parts, and in this Kingdom; and of the Improvements thereby. Extacted from Records, Manuscripts and other Authentic Testimonies. By W. D. Esq. Norroy, King of Arms, 1662, p. 44.