Making the Mariner’s Mirror Podcast ‘Tales from the Cinque Ports’
The Mariners Mirror Podcast hosted by the historian Sam Willis and produced by the Society for Nautical Research is the world’s No.1 maritime history podcast with over 500,000 downloads so far. A recent series on the Cinque Ports focusses on Kent’s links to the confederation. In this blog post Daisy Turnbull of the SNR explains how the series came about and her involvement.
In April 2025 the Mariner’s Mirror Podcast launched a multi-episode series on the Cinque Ports. Across episodes host Dr Sam Willis brings together a mixture of fascinating history, from the eleventh century to the present day, touring places such as Dover, Faversham, Tenterden and New Romney. Alongside archival extracts and discussions of archaeological discoveries the series offers a glimpse into contemporary life in these vibrant and ancient maritime towns. This blog gives an insight into how, and why, we made the Podcast series.
One of the most rewarding things about being a historian and archaeologist is getting to talk with other passionate locals and heritage professionals (often one and the same) about Britain's maritime past. Growing up in Portsmouth I have been surrounded by naval infrastructure (old and new) and been fascinated by nautical history & archaeology from a young age. However, one of the most significant areas in the development of the Royal Navy lies further east on the south coast of England. The Cinque Ports Confederation, established in the eleventh century during the reign of Edward the Confessor, is commonly referred to as the ‘birthplace of the Royal Navy’ and with good reason. Although places like Portsmouth and Plymouth may today be more abundant in military vessels, the Ports, ancient towns and limbs of the Cinque Ports (predominantly in Kent) played a significant role in building, manning and maintaining the early Navy. I was delighted that the Podcast had the opportunity to take a closer look at this fascinating history and its legacy.
I joined the Mariner’s Mirror Podcast team in the spring, just before the scheduled release of the first episode in this series, to support the promotion and development of the Podcast. As a committee member for the Society for Nautical Research I was well aware of the impact and importance of this medium of outreach and the significant number of listeners the podcast attracts. It was clear that the authorities and other local collaborators from the ports, limbs and ancient towns who were engaged with the project also understood this. One of the main outcomes of the series is to support the development of heritage outreach in the Cinque Ports, the Podcast series will be used as a learning tool to encourage children to explore their historic environment and is being built into a series of local school projects.
The ‘Tales from the Cinque Ports’ series came about from collaboration with local Councils from the Confederation and we were delighted to have their support. Sharing our enthusiasm for heritage, some council members even feature in episodes, for example in Tenterden the former mayor Trevor Martin, and current Councillor Josh Rowlands joined the podcast. This enabled the series to be filled with interviews with those who support the legacy of the Cinque Ports and proudly maintain the Confederacy and its traditions. Alongside these guests notable historians and archaeologists have also shared insights and details of ongoing research. This blend of voices was important to establish, bringing together the past and the present.
The series begins with an introduction to the Cinque Ports, exploring the origin and title of the ‘Lord Warden of the Cinque Port’. For this, the podcast was delighted to be invited to the installation of the new lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, Admiral Sir George Zambellas, at the Royal Military School in Dover. In this episode the podcast’s host, Dr Sam Willis, was also joined by archaeologist and historian Dr Andrew Richardson (Director of Isle Heritage and Hon. Curator of Kent Archaeological Society) who spoke about how Kent was transformed by the Cinque Ports obligations to the King, maintaining trading and fishing activity, whilst supporting the development of the maritime military force before the establishment of the standing Navy.
Subsequent episodes followed in May and June 2025, such as Tenterden (5 June) and Faversham (6 May), delving into individual ports and towns, their unique histories, maritime heritage, and contemporary significance - featuring guided tours and interviews with local figures such as former mayors and councillors. A particular highlight for me includes a tour and talk with the brilliant National Trust Archaeologist Nathalie Cohen to discover more about the remnants of the past at Smallhythe Palace and how they are being interpreted today. Their recent archaeology excavations have revealed subtle evidence of the settlement's shipbuilding heritage, whilst leaving many questions for future research. Blending this with documentary evidence of notable past inhabitants such as Sir Robert Brigandyne, Clerk of Ships to Henry VIII, Cohen paints a picture of a once vibrant and productive shipyard that dominated the landscape. I am not meant to have favourite episodes but this is certainly high on my list.
The latest in the Cinque Ports series was released in July and focusses on New Romney.
I look forward to exploring more of the individual towns to get a sense of their intriguing past and dynamic present in future episodes of the podcast. We are also all looking forward to seeing the outcome of work produced in schools that use this series as an educational tool in the Cinque Ports area - we hope there will be lots of creative responses.
Where can you listen to the podcast?
On our website: https://snr.org.uk/the-mariners-mirror-podcast/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0bPnPkl05Zv2l6rpGl7L3y
The Mariner’s Mirror Podcast brought to you by the Society of Nautical Research and the Lloyd’s Register Foundation. It is the world's No.1 podcast in maritime history and has had over 500,000 downloads globally since 2020. To find out more and to listen to episodes please visit our website or find us on streaming platforms such as Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Deezer and many more. The link is https://snr.org.uk/the-mariners-mirror-podcast/
To contact the Podcast team please email: forum-editor@snr.org.uk
For more information on Daisy Turnbull see daisyturnbull.wordpress.com