The Ancient "Cinque Ports" of England

Long before the Norman Conquest in 1066, the ports around the English south east coast had formed themselves into a confederation for self defence. This collection of ports became known as THE CINQUE PORTS (from the French for five, and pronounced in Norman French "sink").

They became not only defensive but in return for extensive commercial privileges granted by various Kings from Edward the Confessor through to Henry II & Edward III and so on but also offensive. The ships from the Cinque Ports were to the fore in the victory at the Battle of Sluys.

The ports were the forerunners of the Royal Navy. The Barons of the Cinque Ports have always carried the Canopy over the Kings and Queens at the Coronation. Hastings has always enjoyed its status as a Cinque Port, and proudly the Borough Arms bears the motto, "Primes inter pares", which translates to "First amongst equals". During the First World War the Cinque Ports Regiment was mainly raised in Hastings. 



The original five ports were Hastings, Romney, Hythe, Dover and Sandwich. In its medieval peak the confederation reached 42 towns in total. Only Dover is the only fully functioning port left today.