town (parish) at the northern edge of Dover district, administrative and historic county of Kent, England. It lies along the River Stour, 2 miles (3 km) from the sea. Originally the tidewater came far enough up the Stour estuary to make Sandwich a port. By the 9th century the town had replaced the decayed Roman port of Richborough, and in the 11th century it became one of the Cinque Ports. It flourished during the European Middle Ages and was chartered as a borough in 1226. English kings continually used it for their expeditions to France, and its herring fishing and general trade prospered. Progressive silting of the channel entrance led to its decay by the 17th century; and an influx of French and Flemish Protestant refugees only temporarily revived its prosperity. In modern times it has remained small, retaining many old buildings along the narrow, winding streets within the line of the old walls, now marked by a public walk. Two of its medieval churches, St. Clement's and St. Peter's, are conspicuous buildings, as is St. Mary's, rebuilt in 1667. Its golf course is well known. Pop. (2001) 4,753.

A number of colonial buildings survive, including Hoxie House and Dexter's Grist Mill. The campus of the Heritage Plantation has buildings that house antique auto, military, and arts and crafts exhibits. Outdoor recreational areas include the Scusset Beach State Reserve and Shawme-Crowell State Forest. Otis Air National Guard Base is partly within the town limits. Tourism and cranberry growing are economically important. Area 43 square miles (111 square km). Pop. (1990) 15,489; (2000) 20,136; (2005 est.) 20,726.