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
Robert de Auberville the name given to the office of Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, in 1228. He was responsible for the general security of the ports between Sandwich and Portsmouth. He and Bertram de Criol, then Constable of Dover Castle, were favoured by a writ "de intendendo" issued to the bailiffs and barons of the Cinque Ports in 1229: in an equivalent writ of 1230, Henry de Sandwich appears in de Auberville's place. Robert witnessed a charter of confirmation to Hubert de Burgh in 1227. At about that time both he and Bertram de Criol also witnessed a grant to Hubert