The Wantsum Channel is the name given to a now silted-up watercourse in the English county of Kent. The "river" Wantsum is now little more than a drainage ditch flowing from Reculver to the River Stour. Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto)1 Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Monarch Queen Elizabeth II... The Kent coat of arms For other uses, see Kent (disambiguation). ... The River Wantsum is one of the source rivers of the River Stour, in Kent, England. ... DrakrCS 09:49, 15 May 2007 (UTC) Remains of Reculver Church viewed from the west. ... The River Stour is a river in Kent, England. ...

History

From prehistory until the Middle Ages, the channel separated the island of Thanet at the north eastern edge of Kent from the mainland. The channel was fed by the River Stour, and was a wide strait of around two miles wide during the Roman period. The southern end of the channel met into the sea at Richborough, Roman name Rutupiae, near Sandwich, and the northern end at Reculver, Roman name Regulbium. Both sites were chosen by the Romans for forts, which indicates the significance of the route. It was also commonly used by merchants travelling between London and the continent. The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... William Cobbett in 1827 when he rode to the Island The Isle of Thanet is an area of northeast Kent, England. ... The River Stour is a river in Kent, England. ... Richborough is a settlement just north of Sandwich on the east coast of the English county of Kent. ... Map sources for Rutupiae at grid reference TR3361 Ruins Richborough Castle Rutupiae was the Roman name for Richborough near Sandwich, Kent, which they founded. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... DrakrCS 09:49, 15 May 2007 (UTC) Remains of Reculver Church viewed from the west. ...

In time coastal erosion washed away most of the fort at Reculver, but parts of the western wall can still be seen close to the church towers. This church was founded in A.D. 699 after the Romans departed, the two towers being added in the 12th century. Inexplicably, the church was demolished in the early 19th century, leaving just the towers as an aid to shipping. The towers and the remains of the fort are an essential port of call for the tourist. (11th century - 12th century - 13th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 12th century was that century which lasted from 1101 to 1200. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Deposition of shingle from the North Sea began closing the channel in the early medieval period and land reclamation by the local monasteries also contributed to reducing the channel to a stream. A dense bank of shingle had begun to appear during the Roman occupation at the southern end of the channel at Stonar, forcing the waters to meander and slow down, accelerating the silting process. By the 16th century it was no longer navigable but the River Stour continues to follow its course. During the 18th century, the silting then threatened the rich port of Sandwich and efforts were made to create sluices and channels to control the waters. These ultimately failed however and as a result Sandwich is now some distance from the sea. (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ...

Walks

The Wantsum Channel is now used as a walk, including the Wantsum Walk, the Saxon Shore Way and the Stour Valley Walk. // Kent 802AD Kent - NASA satellite 2005 The Saxon Shore Way starts at Gravesend, Kent and traces the coast as it was in Roman times (note the changed coastline around Romney Marsh) as far as Hastings, East Sussex, 163 miles (262 km) in total. ... The River Routes The Stour Valley Walk is a recreational walking route that follows the River Great Stour from its source at Lenham to its estuary at Pegwell Bay. ...