The fortunes of Sandwich and its environs have been inextricably linked to the river throughout the town’s history. During the medieval and post-medieval periods there were remarkable changes within the landscape. This was influenced by the evolution of coastal shingle barriers and lead to the decline of Sandwich as a port. By the 15th century the River Stour, and consequently Sandwich itself, was deteriorating rapidly.  Archaeology South-East was commissioned by the Environment Agency to undertake an archaeological watching brief, targeted investigations and historic building recording during the Sandwich Town Tidal Defence Scheme, both in and around the town. The scheme involved the construction off 14km of floodwalls and embankments along the Stour, from Richborough to Broad Salts. This volume details the findings of the investigations, which revealed evidence for the management of the river both within and outside the town. Evidence for the progression of the town’s waterfront further into the river corroborates earlier archaeological findings, and palaeoenvironmental data contributes to the wider body of evidence for the evolution of the Stour, which is currently sparse for the medieval and post-medieval periods. Finds included artefacts of Dutch origins, which might hint at trade with Low Countries or Dutch people within the settled population, and evidence giving insights into Sandwich’s local fishing economy.  The results demonstrate that, while the new flood barriers comprise the most recent attempt at flood defence, they are part of a long history of human management of the Rover Stour, stretching back at last as far as the 12th century.