DrakrCS 09:49, 15 May 2007 (UTC)

Reculver
Coordinates: 51°22′44″N 1°11′49″E / 51.379, 1.1969 Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...
Population	135[1]
OS grid reference	TR224693
District	City of Canterbury
Shire county	Kent
Region	South East
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	CANTERBURY
Postcode district	CT6
Dial code	01227
Police	Kent
Fire	Kent
Ambulance	South East Coast
UK Parliament	Canterbury
European Parliament	South East England
List of places: UK • England • Kent

Remains of Reculver Church viewed from the west. The Roman fort surrounded this site with much of it now destroyed by coastal erosion

Reculver is a summer resort situated about 5 kilometres 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. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (600x800, 11 KB) Summary Description: A blank map of the United Kingdom, with country outline and coastline; contact the author for help with modifications or add-ons Source: Reference map provided by Demis Mapper 6 Date: 2006-21-06 Author: User... Image File history File links Red_pog. ... The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using latitude or longitude. ... The districts of England are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government. ... The City of Canterbury is a local government district with city status in Kent, England. ... 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Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 967 AD  Area  -  Total 130,395 km²  50,346 sq mi  Population  -  2007 estimate... This is an alphabetical list of the sovereign states of the world, including both de jure and de facto independent states. ... A post town is a required part of all UK postal addresses. ... Canterbury is a cathedral city in east Kent in South East England and is the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Primate of All England, head of the Church of England and of the worldwide Anglican Communion. ... UK postal codes are known as postcodes. ... The CT postcode area, also known as the Canterbury postcode area[1], is a group of postal districts around Birchington, Broadstairs, Canterbury, Deal, Dover, Folkestone, Herne Bay, Hythe, Margate, Ramsgate, Sandwich, Westgate-on-Sea and Whitstable in England. ... The UK telephone numbering plan, also known as the National Numbering Plan, is regulated by the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which replaced the Office of Telecommunications (Oftel) in 2003. ... Kent Police is the police force covering Kent in England, including the unitary authority of Medway. ... A Fire Appliance belonging to the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service The fire service in the United Kingdom has undergone dramatic changes since the beginning of the 21st century, a process that has been propelled by a devolution of central government powers, new legislation and a change to operational... Kent Fire and Rescue Service is the statutory fire and rescue service for the county of Kent covering a geographical area south of London, to the coast and including major shipping routes via the Thames and Medway rivers. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... As of 1st July the NHS Ambulance Services Trusts of Kent, Surrey and Sussex are being joined together to form a new South East Coast Ambulance Service . ... The United Kingdom House of Commons is made up of Members of Parliament (MPs). ... Canterbury is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... This is a list of Members of the European Parliament for the United Kingdom in the 2004 to 2009 session, ordered by name. ... South East England is a constituency of the European Parliament. ... List of cities in the United Kingdom List of towns in England Lists of places within counties List of places in Bedfordshire List of places in Berkshire List of places in Buckinghamshire List of places in Cambridgeshire List of places in Cheshire List of places in Cleveland List of places... This is a list of cities, towns and villages in the ceremonial county of Kent, England. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 68 KB) Summary Taken by me 16 Sep 2005. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 68 KB) Summary Taken by me 16 Sep 2005. ... Herne Bay is a seaside town in Kent, England around six and a half miles north of Canterbury, and part of the City of Canterbury local government district. ... coat of Arms of Kent For other uses, see Kent (disambiguation). ... Principal sites in Roman Britain Roman Britain refers to those parts of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire between 43 and 410. ... The Kent Wildlife Trust is a wildlife trust covering the county of Kent, England. ...

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 called Regulbium, the fort guarded the north end of what were then the broad waters of the Wantsum Channel, which separated the Isle of Thanet from the rest of Kent and along which passed Roman galleys. In Saxon, the place name became raculf. The Wantsum Channel is the name given to a now silted-up watercourse in the English county of Kent. ... William Cobbett in 1827 when he rode to the Island The Isle of Thanet is an area of northeast Kent, England. ... See: Lower Saxon language (a variety of Low German) Anglo-Saxon language (the ancestor language of English) Old Saxon language (the ancestor language of Anglo-Saxon language) Upper Saxon language (a variety of High German) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might...

In more recent times, Reculver has become threatened by the retreating cliff line. Erosion from the sea is causing the coast to retreat extremely quickly, threatening residents and the local tourism industry. The area is barely protected, with only a few groynes in place. Protecting the area is still under debate.

History

During the later 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 organised the forts of the Saxon Shore, of which Regulbium was one, but it was already in existence since about 200 AD. (See B. J, Philp, Report on the Excavations of Roman Reculver, pub. 2005). Regulbium was also used as a lighthouse and watch-tower, because of its prominent position near the mouths of both the Thames and Medway. The Saxon Shore is the collective name given to a series of fortifications built along the south-east coast of what is now England, during the latter years of the Roman occupation of Britain. ... Carausius coin from Londinium mint. ... Several places exist with the name Thames, and the word is also used as part of several brand and company names Most famous is the River Thames in England, on which the city of London stands Other Thames Rivers There is a Thames River in Canada There is a Thames... Medway is the name given to a conurbation in the north of Kent, England. ...

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.

An early Saxon church was constructed on the site of the abandoned Roman fort in 669 when King Ecgberht of Kent granted land for the foundation of a monastery. When the Roman occupation ended, Regulbium became a seat of the Saxon kings and in the 9th century, following the arrival of Saint Augustine, a Benedictine abbey was founded. The Saxon Minster later became St. Mary's Church of Reculver, and the towers were added in the 12th century. Ecgberht, or Egbert (d. ... Monastery of St. ... As a means of recording the passage of time the 9th century was that century that lasted from 801 to 900. ... Augustine of Canterbury (birth unknown, died May 26, 604) was the first Archbishop of Canterbury, sent to Ethelbert of Kent, Bretwalda (ruler) of England by Pope Gregory the Great in 597. ... Munichs city symbol celebrates its founding by Benedictine monks—the origin of its name A Benedictine is a person who follows the Rule of St Benedict. ... Bold textTHIS IS THE PAGE THAT A.S. REALLY NEEDS!! THIS IS NOW MARKED!!! ] ps i like A.O. This article is about an abbey as a Christian monastic community. ...

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 Rescue Unit excavations conducted in the 1960s within the fort revealed several infant skeletons buried under the walls of Roman barrack blocks which are estimated to have been built approximately between 200-250 AD.

Another more enduring legend concerning the church itself, the towers of which are locally called the 'Twin Sisters', is related below. At one time each had a spire on top of the towers that were finally removed in 1925 and 1931. The Saxon church itself has existed on the site in varying forms since 669 AD, (when a Benedictine Abbey was established, but laater destroyed by Vikings); but the church was demolished in 1809. Two massive pillars from the Saxon church are now stored in the crypt of Canterbury Cathedral. The name Viking is a loan from the native Scandinavian term for the Norse seafaring warriors who raided the coasts of Scandinavia, Europe and the British Isles from the late 8th century to the 11th century, the period of European history referred to as the Viking Age. ... Canterbury Cathedral is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site. ...

Due to coastal erosion, the village surrounding the church was abandoned and the inhabitants built a new church, a mile inland. 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. When the church was demolished, 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. Margate is a town in Thanet, Kent, England (population about 60,000). ... The Corporation of Trinity House - came into being in 1514 by Royal Charter granted by Henry VIII. Flag of Trinity House Trinity House has three main functions: The care of all lighthouses in England, Wales, the Channel Islands and Gibraltar. ... A groyne on the East coast of England Wikimedia Commons has more media related to: Groyne A groyne (groin in the United States) is a method of coastal defense against erosion. ...

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 1990s.

The legend of the Twin Sisters

Remains of Reculver Church viewed from the east

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 Davington near Faversham, whilst Isabella, as the ward of John Abbot of Canterbury was betrothed to Henry de Belville, who fought for Richard III, and was fatally injured at the battle of Bosworth Field. Isabella then like her sister 'took the veil', for 14 years until Frances was taken ill. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 101 KB) Summary Taken by me 16 Sep 2005. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 101 KB) Summary Taken by me 16 Sep 2005. ... Faversham is a town in Kent, England, in the district of Swale, roughly halfway between Sittingbourne and Canterbury. ... Canterbury is a cathedral city in east Kent in South East England and is the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Primate of All England, head of the Church of England and of the worldwide Anglican Communion. ... Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 1483 until his death. ... Combatants King Richard III of England, Yorkist Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, Lancastrian Commanders Richard III of England† Nominally, Richmond in practice, the Earl of Oxford Strength 6,000 (king had 15,500 but Lord Stanley with 4,000 and his brother, Sir William Stanley with 2,500 betrayed; Henry...

The sisters made a vow that if Frances recovered they would make a pilgrimage and make offerings at the Shrine of Our Lady, 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. The Shrine of Our Ladye Star of the Sea in Bradstowe (now Broadstairs) was an old chapel that dated back at least to the 1350s. ...

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 sister's 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". Unfortunately for this 18th century legend, the towers had spires already in the 15th century.

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 1700 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 . After vainly trying to save the remains of the church and its yard, in 1809 the authorities allowed its demolition. The vicarage also abandoned in 1809, was briefly used as a public house known as 'The Hoy and Anchor', while the present 'The King Ethelbert Inn' was being built to replace the old Hoy and Anchor which had fallen into the sea from the cliff a few years before. The story has been retold and reinvented many times perhaps the most famous being from the Ingoldsby Legends, when two brothers (Robert and Richard de Birchington) were substituted as the sisters who adopted this famous landmark. (Tom Ingoldsby being the pen name of Richard Harris Barham). The Ingoldsby Legends are a collection of myths, legends, ghost stories and poetry supposedly by Thomas Ingoldsby of Tappington manor, actually a pen-name of Richard Harris Barham. ... Richard Harris Barham (December 6, 1788 - June 17, 1845), English humourist, better known by his nom de plume of Thomas Ingolosby, was born at Canterbury. ...

Barnes Wallis explosives found in the Thames

The Reculver coastline is where Barnes Wallis 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 Wallis's famous 'bouncing bombs' were secretly tested, which were to be used so 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). Sir Barnes Neville Wallis Sir Barnes Neville Wallis, CBE, FRS, RDI, commonly known as Barnes Wallis, (September 26, 1887 – October 30, 1979) was an English scientist, engineer and inventor. ... The bouncing bomb was a kind of bomb designed by Barnes Wallis of Vickers-Armstrong at Brooklands, Surrey. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... For the video game see The Dam Busters (video game) No. ... Operation Chastise was the official name for the attacks on German dams on May 17, 1943 in World War II using a specially developed bouncing bomb. The attack was carried out by Royal Air Force No. ... For the conurbation see Ruhr Area. ... May 17 is the 137th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (138th in leap years). ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Photo from 617 Squadron The dambusters Photo submitted by Roger Shenton - (taken by John Kramer) Photo of the Dambusters Memorial at Woodhall Spa. ... Victoria Cross medal, ribbon, and bar. ...

On 6 June 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, one of which is on display in Dover Castle. One prototype is displayed in the Herne Bay Museum & Gallery, another in the Spitfire & Hurricane Memorial Museum in Manston. June 6 is the 157th day of the year (158th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The British Broadcasting Corporation, usually known as the BBC, is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the United Kingdom alone and with a budget of more than GB£4 billion. ... Dover Castle is situated at Dover, Kent and has been described as the Key to England due to its defensive significance throughout history. ... Manston is the name of a number of settlements: Manston, Dorset Manston, Kent This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

A 60th anniversary fly-over of Reculver took place on 17 May 2003, when a Lancaster overflew the site to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the exploit. May 17 is the 137th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (138th in leap years). ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Avro Lancaster was a British four-engine Second World War bomber aircraft made initially by Avro for the British Royal Air Force (RAF). ...

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 Thanet. This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...

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.

This Virtual Fieldwork Unit from the GeoResources educational website allows you to 'walk' around the area. Virtual Fieldwork The small section of coast used in this Virtual Fieldwork Unit stretches from Herne Bay in the west 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.

Wildlife

Annually many thousands of birds visit Reculver during their 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 cliff top wildflower meadows left in Kent, and home to butterflies and Skylarks. The red line indicates the 10°C isotherm in July, commonly used to define the Arctic region border Satellite image of the Arctic surface The Arctic is the region around the Earths North Pole, opposite the Antarctic region around the South Pole. ... Binomial name Branta bernicla (Linnaeus, 1758) The Brent Goose (Branta bernicla) is a goose of the genus Branta, known in North America as Brant. ... Genera Arenaria Turnstones are two birds species, the Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres), and the Black Turnstone (Arenaria melanocephala). ... Binomial name Riparia riparia (Linnaeus, 1758) The Sand Martin (Riparia riparia) is a migratory passerine bird in the swallow family. ...

The soft cliff slopes at Reculver and nearby Bishopstone Glen have a rich insect fauna, including UK Nationally Scarce species such as the Digger wasp Alysson lunicornis, and the cuckoo bee Nomada fucata - a cleptoparasite of the mining bee Andrena flavipes. Kleptoparasitism or cleptoparasitism (literally, parasitism by theft) is a form of feeding where one animal takes prey from another that has caught, killed, or otherwise prepared it, including stored food provisions, as in the case of cuckoo bees, which lay their eggs on the pollen masses made by other bees. ...

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 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.

External link

• Reculver Virtual Fieldwork
• Reculver Visitor Centre and Country Park (Kent Wildlife Trust)
• Map sources for Reculver

The Kent Wildlife Trust is a wildlife trust covering the county of Kent, England. ...

References

1. ^ National Statistics Census 2001