Reculver Towers
Reculver Roman Fort, plan made in 1923
669: First Reculver Church. An early Christian chantry was established here by
St Augustine's pilgrims from Rome.
12th century: The second Reculver Church, being the building now demolished with the two towers still standing,
was erected and incorporated Saxon remains from the first church.
1530s: Leland -
a quarter of a mile or a little more divides Reculver from the sea to the north of it
1600: Plan shows the distance as 180 yards
1650s: Somner says the church is endangered
In the 15th Century there were two well-connected sisters, one of whom was the Abbess of Faversham. One of the sisters fell ill and when she recovered, the two of them decided to go and give their thanks at the shrine of St. Mary, Bradstowe (or Broadstairs). They sailed from Faversham but off Reculver were hit by a storm which wrecked their ship. Both sisters were saved but one of the two died as the results of exposure. The remaining sister then added two spires to the existing towers and they were thereafter known as the "twin sisters".
-1708: Battely says that in his lifetime the waves were devastating the north face of the fort.
1799: Reculver Church in 1799 -
Reculver Church in 1799
1807 & 1858:
Kent Archaeological Society Visual Records
1809: Body of church demolished, but the towers with spires were retained as a navigational aid
and maintained by Trinity House.
The third Reculver Church was built a mile inland.
1878: A fourth Reculver Church was built on the site of the third.
1915: The remains of the second Reculver Church -
Reculver Church 1915
1945: Reculver marks the eastern end of the 3Km course over which the world speed record was set at
more than 606mph in a Gloster Jet propelled Meteor plane.
Reculver Fourth Church as it is today -
moving panorama
St Mary's, Reculver