Battling the storm

Dramatic to watch, but not a good idea to go out in it. Only a few dog walkers were brave enough. I only lasted a few moments standing on the balcony to take photos. 

This is the most stormy we have ever seen the sea here, although we know that during the winter huge tidal surges move the shingle, realigning the beach, and locals tell us about having to sweep pebbles from the promenade. 

However, nothing has been as bad as the massive storm of 1287 that hit the south coast with such ferocity that whole areas of the coastline were redrawn. Before this the Cinque Ports of Hastings, Romney, Hythe, Dover and Sandwich were busy ports for shipping and fishing, big trading centres. These towns provided the ships and men who guarded the country from attack, they were really the original force behind England’s maritime power. As we have been visiting the Medieval churches of Romney Marsh we have often been surprised at the size of some of them and found that they served these ports and their supporting towns when there was much wealth, power and influence around. 

This all changed after the major storm - harbours were silted up and left unusable, cliffs at Hastings fell into the sea ruining its harbour, the River Rother changed course. Some of the towns became landlocked - the church at New Romney which we visited yesterday was originally built by the harbour, it is now a mile inland. 

The power of the sea.