Editing Reculver (section)

==Geography==
[[File:The eroding cliffs of Reculver Country Park - geograph.org.uk - 6930.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Sandy cliffs at Reculver Country Park|The soft sandstones of the cliffs fronting Reculver country park are easily undercut by the sea. Shingle in the area is composed of small pebbles washed out of the cliff, augmented to the east by shingle dredged off the coast of [[East Anglia]].<ref>[[#{{harvid|Matthews|Thompson|Golding}}|Matthews, Thompson & Golding]], pp.&nbsp;9, 13.</ref>{{refn|"[A]longshore transport rates are low [between Bishopstone Glen and Reculver]. Apart from along the eastern end of the section where there is a weak east to west transport, there does not appear to be a strong drift in either direction."{{sfn|Halcrow Group|2010|p=14}}|group=Fn}}]]
The ruins of the Roman fort and medieval church at Reculver stand on the remnant of a promontory, a low hill with a maximum height of {{convert|50|ft|m|0}}, which is the "last seaward extension of the Blean Hills."{{sfn|Jessup|1936|p=188}} Sediments laid down around 55&nbsp;million years ago are particularly well displayed in the cliffs to the west.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kentwildlifetrust.org.uk/sites/kent.live.wt.precedenthost.co.uk/files/Geology%20of%20Kent.pdf |title=Geology of Kent |publisher=Kent Wildlife Trust |year=2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413150415/http://www.kentwildlifetrust.org.uk/sites/kent.live.wt.precedenthost.co.uk/files/Geology%20of%20Kent.pdf |archive-date=13 April 2014 |url-status=live |access-date=20 May 2014 }}</ref> Nearby Herne Bay is the [[type section]] for the upper part of the [[Thanet Formation]], previously known as the Thanet Beds, consisting of a fine-grained sand that can be clayey and [[Glauconite|glauconitic]] and is of [[Thanetian]] (late [[Paleocene]]) age.<ref name=BGS>{{cite web | url=http://www.bgs.ac.uk/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?pub=TAB | title=The BGS Lexicon of Named Rock Units — Result Details Thanet Sand Formation | author=British Geological Survey | publisher=NERC | year=2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320114238/http://www.bgs.ac.uk/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?pub=TAB | archive-date=20 March 2012| url-status=live | access-date=20 May 2014}}</ref> It rests [[Unconformity|unconformably]] on the [[Chalk Group]],<ref name=BGS /> and forms the base of the cliffs in the Reculver and Herne Bay area.{{sfn|Ward|1978|loc=p. iv, Fig. 1 & pp. 2–3}}{{refn|{{harvnb|Ward|1978|loc=p. iv, Fig. 1}}, gives the location of the section of cliff illustrated there as being at Ordnance Survey grid reference "{{gbmappingsmall|TQ 2140 6902}}": this location is in [[New Malden]] in south-west London, whereas {{gbmappingsmall|TR 2140 6902}} is a location on the cliff between Bishopstone and Reculver. Compare also the grid references given at {{harvnb|Ward|1978|pp=4–5}}.|group=Fn}} Above the Thanet Sand are the [[Upnor Formation]], a medium sandstone,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.bgs.ac.uk/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?pub=UPR | title=The BGS Lexicon of Named Rock Units — Result Details Upnor Formation | author=British Geological Survey | publisher=NERC | year=2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320114254/http://www.bgs.ac.uk/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?pub=UPR | archive-date=20 March 2012 | url-status=live | access-date=20 May 2014}}</ref> and the sandy clays of the [[Harwich Formation]] at the Paleocene–[[Eocene]] boundary.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.bgs.ac.uk/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?pub=HWH | title=The BGS Lexicon of Named Rock Units — Result Details Harwich Formation | author=British Geological Survey | publisher=NERC | year=2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320114301/http://www.bgs.ac.uk/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?pub=HWH | archive-date=20 March 2012 | url-status=live | access-date=20 May 2014}}</ref> The highest cliffs, rising to a maximum height of about {{convert|115|ft|m|0}} to the west of Reculver,{{sfn|Canterbury City Council|2008|p=16}} have a cap of [[London Clay]],{{sfn|Ward|1978|loc=p. iv, Fig. 1 & p. 4}} a fine silty clay of Eocene age.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.bgs.ac.uk/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?pub=LC | title=The BGS Lexicon of Named Rock Units — Result Details London Clay Formation | author=British Geological Survey | publisher=NERC | year=2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110408164051/http://www.bgs.ac.uk/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?pub=LC | archive-date=8 April 2011 | url-status=live | access-date=20 May 2014}}</ref> The surface consists mainly of flint gravel with some areas of [[brickearth]], both of which are [[Till|glacial deposits]].<ref>[[#{{harvid|Matthews|Thompson|Golding}}|Matthews, Thompson & Golding]], p.&nbsp;5; {{harvnb|Halcrow Group|2010|p=15}}.</ref>

Rocks such as these are easily washed away by the sea.<ref>[[#{{harvid|Matthews|Thompson|Golding}}|Matthews, Thompson & Golding]], pp.&nbsp;6, 9; {{harvnb|Halcrow Group|2010|p=15}}.</ref> It has been estimated that the Roman fort was originally about 1&nbsp;mile (1.6&nbsp;km) from the sea to the north, but the cliffs are eroding at a rate of approximately {{convert|3.3|ft|m|0}} per year.<ref>{{harvnb|Jessup|1936|pp=186–8}}; [[#{{harvid|Matthews|Thompson|Golding}}|Matthews, Thompson & Golding]], p.&nbsp;13; {{harvnb|Halcrow Group|2010|p=16}}.</ref> Coastal erosion had washed away most of Reculver village by 1800, leading residents to re-locate to Hillborough, within Reculver parish.<ref>{{harvnb|Hasted|1800|pages=109–25}}; {{harvnb|Harris|2001|page=36}}.</ref> A plan is in place to manage this erosion whereby some parts of the coastline such as the country park will be allowed to continue eroding, and others&nbsp;– including the site of the Roman fort and the medieval church&nbsp;– will be protected from further erosion.{{sfn|Canterbury City Council|2008|p=13}} New sea defences were built in the 1990s, including covering the beaches around the church with [[Riprap|boulders]].<ref>[[#{{harvid|Matthews|Thompson|Golding}}|Matthews, Thompson & Golding]], pp.&nbsp;10, 14.</ref>

The warmest time of year in Kent is in July and August, with average maximum temperatures of around {{convert|21|C|F|0}}, and the coolest is in January and February, with average minimum temperatures of around {{convert|1|C|F|0}}.<ref name=Wye>{{cite web|url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19812010/sites/wye.html|title=Wye 1981–2010 averages|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|publisher=Met Office|date=n.d.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140324190959/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19812010/sites/wye.html|archive-date=24 March 2014|url-status=dead|access-date=20 May 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Average maximum and minimum temperatures are about 0.5&nbsp;°C (0.3&nbsp;°F) higher than they are nationally.<ref name=UKtemp>{{cite web|url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19812010/areal/england.html|title=England 1981–2010 averages|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|publisher=Met Office|date=n.d.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130410093339/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19812010/areal/england.html|archive-date=10 April 2013|url-status=dead|access-date=20 May 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Locations on the north coast of Kent, like Reculver, are sometimes warmer than areas further inland, owing to the influence of the [[North Downs]] to the south.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/kent/weather/features/kent_weather2.shtml |title=Kent weather exposed |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |publisher=BBC Kent |date=13 August 2006 |access-date=20 April 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060813133013/http://www.bbc.co.uk/kent/weather/features/kent_weather2.shtml |archive-date=13 August 2006 }}</ref> Average annual rainfall in Kent is about {{convert|728|mm|in|1}}, with the highest rainfall from October to January.<ref name=Wye /> This is lower than the national average annual rainfall of {{convert|838|mm|in|0}}.<ref name=UKtemp /> Occasional [[drought]] conditions can lead to the imposition of [[Outdoor water-use restriction|Temporary Use Bans]] to conserve water supplies,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.southeastwater.co.uk/media/155156/SEW_FINAL_Drought_Plan_2013.pdf |title=Final Drought Plan 2013 |publisher=southeastwater.co.uk |year=2013 |pages=29–62 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140421064745/http://www.southeastwater.co.uk/media/155156/SEW_FINAL_Drought_Plan_2013.pdf |archive-date=21 April 2014 |url-status=dead |access-date=20 May 2014 }}</ref> and it was announced in 2013 that a water [[desalination]] plant was to be built at Reculver to increase supplies.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.canterburytimes.co.uk/South-East-water-plans-build-new-plant-Reculver/story-18980416-detail/story.html |title=South East water plans to build a new plant at Reculver and reservoir at Broad Oak |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=14 May 2013 |website=Canterbury Times |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140512215806/http://www.canterburytimes.co.uk/South-East-water-plans-build-new-plant-Reculver/story-18980416-detail/story.html |archive-date=12 May 2014 |url-status=dead |access-date=20 May 2014 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>