Reculver
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Reculver is a small seaside farmstead and summer resort situated about 3 miles east of Herne Bay along the North Kent coast and is popular with visitors. Its main features are the ruins of a Roman Fort and a country park which houses an interpretation centre run by the Kent Wildlife Trust.
Ruins of a 14th century church on the edge of a cliff form a backdrop to the wide Thames-side marshes and hide the intriguing remains of a Roman fort. Originally 'Reculbium', which guarded the North end of the then broad waters of Wantsum Channel, along which passed Roman galleys, that once separated the Isle of Thanet from the rest of Kent. (Reculver: Saxon 'raculf ceastrie').
During the latter years of the Roman occupation the Saxon Shore was defended by a series of similar fortifications, built along the south-east coast and intended to deter Saxon raiders from Europe. It was the Roman admiral and commander Carausius in AD 287, who discarding his Roman allegiance declared himself Emperor of Britain, and at once began the construction of these forts at Reculver, stretching from Norfolk, to Hampshire. (GW Meates: Kentish Yesterdays Vol. 1, 1980).
A visitor centre within Reculver Country Park, just west of Reculver Towers, highlights the significant archaeological, historical, geological and wildlife conservation value of the area. The cliffs between Reculver and Herne Bay are composed of soft sand and clays originally laid down in the shallow seas about 60 million years ago. The cliffs are up to 30 metres in height.
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A legend persists whereby it is reported there is often heard the sound of a crying baby in the grounds of the fort and Church ruins. The Kent Archaeological Society excavations conducted in the 1960s within the fort revealed several infant skeletons buried under the walls of a Roman barrack block which is estimated to have been built approximately between 200-250 AD.
Another more enduring legend concerns the Church itself, the towers of the Church are locally called "the Twin Sisters" and at one time each had a spire on top of the towers that were finally removed sometime around 1880. The Saxon church itself has existed on the site in varying forms since 669 AD, (when a Benedictine Abbey was destroyed by Vikings), but was demolished in 1809. Two massive pillars from the Saxon church are now stored in the crypt of Canterbury Cathedral.
Due to coastal erosion, the village surrounding the church was abandoned when the inhabitants decamped some two miles inland and built a new church. The twin towers of St. Mary's Church were a well known landmark and navigational aid by sea and land along this stretch of the North Kent marshes between Herne Bay and Margate. After the towers collapsed during a storm in the 19th century, the site was bought from the parish by Trinity House in 1810. The corporation also laid down the original groynes to protect the cliffs upon which the towers stand.
New spires replaced the original, restored by Trinity House, after a gale is reported to have blown them down, sometime before 1819, to continue to act as a marker to shipping. Today the struggle to protect the Towers from the sea continues and new sea defences were built in the 1990's.
The legend of the Twin Sisters
Some time in the distant past there were two sisters, the orphaned daughters of Sir Geoffrey St Clare, Frances and Isabella. Frances became abbess of the Benedictine priory of Davinton near Faversham, whilst Isabella, as the ward of John Abbot of Canterbury was betrothed to Henry de Belville, whom fought for Richard III, and fatally injured was killed at the battle of Bosworth Field. Isabella then like her sister 'took the veil', for 14 years until Frances was taken ill.
The sisters made a vow that if Frances recovered they would make a pilgrimage and make offerings at the shrine of St. Mary, Bradstowe (Broadstairs) to give their thanks. Sailing from Faversham, when off Reculver they became shipwrecked on the Columbine Sands in a storm for lack of any sea mark.
Frances was rescued, but Isabella had to stay on the wreck until daylight, at length rescued she was later to die herself from exposure, in her sisters arms. Frances completed the pilgrimage alone on foot. In loving memory of her sister Frances restored the Reculver church adding two spires to the existing towers and they were thereafter known as the "twin sisters".
The coastline was being rapidly eroded at this point and the churchyard, to the North of the Church has long since been lost to the sea, together with a large proportion of the remains of the Roman fort.
As long ago as 1780 the sea had begun to threaten the stability of the shallow hill the reculver (Regulbium) Roman fort had been built upon, whereby the great north wall fell one night under the fury of the advancing tide. Instead of trying to save the remains of the church and its yard, from 1809 the authorities began its demolition. The vicarage was also abandoned in 1809, converted into a public house long known as 'The Hoy', which now survives as 'The King Ethelbert Inn'.
The story has been retold and reinvented many times perhaps the most famous being from the 'Ingoldsby legend', when two brothers (Robert and Richard de Birchington) were substituted as the sisters who adopted this famous landmark. (Tom Igoldsby being the pen name of the Reverend RH Barham)
Barnes Wallace explosives found in the Thames
The Reculver coastline is where Barnes Wallace was able to test the `bouncing bomb' used during the Second World War and is often cited for its connection with the "Dambusters" - 617 Squadron. It was in the shadow of the Twin Sisters that prototypes of Barnes Wallace's famous 'bouncing bombs' were secretly tested, which were so to be used successfully in the Dambusters raids. The final versions of these bombs were dropped on the Ruhr Dams on 17 May 1943, by a formation of Lancaster bombers led by Wing Commander Guy Gibson (for which he was awarded the VC).
June 6, 1997 It was announced on the BBC World News that four of the prototype "bouncing bombs" had been discovered washed up and sitting in the mud offshore. Fortunately as prototypes they contained no explosive material. Four of these "bombs", each weighing approximately four tons were thereafter subject to an attempted salvage, the result of which is not recorded here. A prototype is displayed in the Herne Bay Museum & Gallery.
A 60th anniversary fly-over of Reculver took place on 17 May 2003, when a Lancaster was joined by a Spitfire, a Hurricane, and a modern Tornado GR4 jet to commemorate the tests.
Reculver Country Park
Reculver Country Park is situated 3 miles east of Herne Bay. Follow the signposting from the Thanet Way - look for the twin dark Towers on the skyline to the left from London, or right from the coast.
Kent Wildlife Trust offers information on events and activities at Reculver, contact the Information Centre on 01227 740676 (during opening hours only) or John Wilson on 0780 856 8821.
The small section of coast used in this Virtual Fieldwork Unit stretches from Herne Bay in the west of the county to the Wantsum Channel in the east.
The majority of the area studied lies within the Reculver Country Park, a small area of protected countryside. Due to the natural rates of erosion which are high a lot of work has been done to try and manage this section of coast with varying degrees of success. The coast at Reculver is eroding approximately 1 to 2 metres a year. When the Romans built the fort the sea was 2km away. The shingle beach has timber groynes giving way to sandy mudflats at low tide.
This Virtual Fieldwork Unit allows you to 'walk' around the area.
Wildlife:
Annually many thousands of birds visit Reculver during there migrations back and forth from the arctic. In winter Brent Geese and wading birds such as Turnstone may be seen, whilst during the summer months Sand Martins nest in the cliffs. The grasslands on the cliff top are amongst the few remaining wallflower meadows left, and home to butterflies and Skylarks.
Millennium Cross:
The stone cross at the entrance to the car park was commissioned by Canterbury City Council to commemorate two thousand years of Christianity. The cross was carved from Portland Stone by the cathedral stone masons. The design is based on the original Reculver Cross, fragments of which survive in Canterbury Cathedral.
Directions: leave the Thanet Way (East) (A299) signposted to Reculver, then follow Brook Lane until you meet Reculver Lane. Turn right and follow this narrow road all the way to the free car park, where some shops and amenities may be found. A bus from Canterbury via Herne Bay to Reculver gives access to those without transport.