During the 14th to 16th centuries, the River Rother flowed past this point and Smallhythe was a thriving inland port and one of the premier shipbuilding centres in England, supplying warships to several Tudor monarchs. A ferry connected Smallhythe to the Isle of Oxney opposite. On 31st July 1515 most of the village and shipbuilding facilities were consumed by fire. However the inhabitants quickly re-established the village and resumed the building of ships. Ironically, by the middle of the 16th century silting of the river heralded the demise of shipbuilding and the port. The ferry was eventually replaced by a toll bridge which continued to operate until 1932. This plaque was installed in 2015 to mark the 500th Anniversary of the Great Fire of Smallhythe and to record the national importance of the medieval village and its inhabitants.

The plaque is affixed to a bridge parapet just south of Smallhythe Place, the former home of the actress Dame Ellen Terry and now in the custody of The National Trust.