Cinque Ports Castle, and whilst this office exists today, it is now a purely honorary title, with an official residence at Walmer Castle. The town of Hastings was the head port of the Cinque Ports in mediaeval times. The towns also had their own system of courts. All Freemen of the ports, termed "portsmen", were deemed in the age of Feudalism to be barons, and thus members of the baronage entitled to attend the king's parliament - a privilege granted in 1322 in recognition of their earlier support of the Despensers, father and son. Termed "Barons of the Cinque Ports", they reflected
Cinque Ports Fortress Royal Engineers Cinque Ports Fortress Royal Engineers The Cinque Ports Fortress Royal Engineers was a volunteer unit of Britain's Royal Engineers serving in the defences of Dover, one of the historic Cinque Ports. It provided detachments for field service in World War I and in World War II, when they saw active service in Tunisia, Italy and Greece Its lineal descendant continues to serve in the present day Army Reserve as a bomb disposal unit. When the Territorial Force was established from the old Volunteer Force in 1908, the 1st Sussex Royal Engineers (Volunteers) was split up to provide the field engineer