Tide & towers

Glancing back.
The sea has already reclaimed
The mud flats
Where I meandered just minutes ago
Beneath the ancient sandstone cliffs,
Watched over by the ghosts of the Twin Sisters.
The chill wind whipped my face,
The gulls and geese soared and swooped
And thoughts of forts, monasteries and bouncing bombs
Fuelled my imagination.

Reculver Towers in the distance are the only remains of St Mary's Church, which sat on the site previously occupied by a Roman fort (which became part of the chain of Saxon Shore forts) from 43 AD and then a monastery where King Eadberht II of Kent was buried in the 760s. In the Middle Ages Reculver was a thriving town with a weekly market and a yearly fair, and was a member of the Cinque Port of Sandwich. Now it has a pub, caravan park and wildlife centre.

The twin spires of the church became a landmark for sailors known as the Twin Sisters. Anyone who has seen the film The Dam Busters will know that Barnes Wallis's bouncing bombs were tested in the sea off Reculver and a monument to him stands on the Herne Bay Downs.

Reculver Country Park is a Special Protection Area and Site of Special Scientific Interest, which has rare clifftop meadows and is important for migrating birds.