225-594: Reculver is a village and coastal resort about 3 miles (5 km) east of Herne Bay on the north coast of Kent in south-east England. It is in the ward of the same name, in the City of Canterbury district of Kent . Reculver once occupied a strategic location at the north-western end of the Wantsum Channel , a sea lane that separated the Isle of Thanet and the Kent mainland until
450-509: A Count of the Saxon Shore . The Notitia Dignitatum shows that the fort at Reculver became part of this arrangement, and its location meant that it lay at the "main point of contact in the system [of Saxon Shore forts]". Archaeological evidence indicates that it was abandoned in the 370s. By the 7th century Reculver was part of a landed estate of the Anglo-Saxon kings of Kent , possibly with
675-513: A Green Flag Award in 2005, and it is estimated that over 200,000 people visit it each year, including up to 3,500 students for educational trips. Canterbury City Council's Reculver Masterplan envisages purchasing farmland to the south of the country park to replace land lost to the sea through coastal erosion. In 2011 it was found that the shoreline in the Herne Bay area, including Reculver, had come under threat from an invasive species ,
900-585: A basilica (Greek Basiliké ) was a large public building with multiple functions that was typically built alongside the town's forum . The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its name to the basilica architectural form . Originally, a basilica was an ancient Roman public building, where courts were held, as well as serving other official and public functions. Basilicas are typically rectangular buildings with
1125-428: A hypocaust and tesselated [floor once] stood considerably to the northward of the fort": this structure had been observed by the 17th- to 18th-century antiquarian John Battely , and was probably "an external bath house ... relating to [an early phase of] the fort." In the same area Battely described "several cisterns " between 10 and 12 feet (3–3.7 m) square, lined with oak planks and sealed at
1350-436: A sea-fort was built off the coast of Herne Bay and Whitstable, which is still in existence. The coastal village of Reculver, to the east of Herne Bay, was the site of the testing of the bouncing bomb used by the " Dam Busters " during the war. The original wooden pier had to be dismantled in 1871 after its owners went into liquidation and sea worms had damaged the wood. A shorter 100 metres (328 ft)-long iron pier with
1575-410: A seaside resort during the early 19th century after the building of a pleasure pier and promenade by a group of London investors, and reached its heyday in the late Victorian era . Its popularity as a holiday destination has declined over the past decades, due to the increase in foreign travel and to a lesser degree exposure to flooding that has prevented the town's redevelopment. In 2011 the town had
1800-547: A temple , market halls and public libraries . In the imperial period, statues of the emperors with inscribed dedications were often installed near the basilicas' tribunals, as Vitruvius recommended. Examples of such dedicatory inscriptions are known from basilicas at Lucus Feroniae and Veleia in Italy and at Cuicul in Africa Proconsolaris , and inscriptions of all kinds were visible in and around basilicas. At Ephesus
2025-482: A "thriving township", with "dozens of houses". In 1310 Archbishop Robert Winchelsey of Canterbury noted that the population of the whole parish in the time of his predecessor John Peckham ( c. 1230–1292) had numbered more than 3,000. For this reason, and because the parish was also large geographically, he converted chapelries at Herne and, on the Isle of Thanet, St Nicholas-at-Wade and Shuart into parishes, though
2250-601: A 2 miles (3 km) shingle beach, which has been awarded a European Blue Flag and the yellow and blue Seaside Award for its safety and cleanliness. The seafront features a Victorian bandstand and gardens, amusement arcades, and children's play areas. Landmarks by the seafront include the Clock Tower , the sea defence jetty, the off-shore World War II sea fort and the off-shore wind farm . There are seaside cafés, fresh seafood restaurants, guesthouses, beach huts and numerous water-sports facilities. The Memorial Park, situated near
2475-430: A 3rd-century mud-brick house at Aqaba had become a Christian church and was rebuilt as a basilica. Within was a rectangular assembly hall with frescoes and at the east end an ambo , a cathedra , and an altar. Also within the church were a catecumenon (for catechumens ), a baptistery, a diaconicon , and a prothesis : all features typical of later 4th century basilica churches. A Christian structure which included
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#17328525429492700-782: A Christian basilica erected by Constantine was taken over by his opponents, the Donatists . After Constantine's failure to resolve the Donatist controversy by coercion between 317 and 321, he allowed the Donatists, who dominated Africa , to retain the basilica and constructed a new one for the Catholic Church . The original titular churches of Rome were those which had been private residences and which were donated to be converted to places of Christian worship. Above an originally 1st century AD villa and its later adjoining warehouse and Mithraeum ,
2925-429: A Site of Scientific Interest and a Special Protection Area for birds. The whole of the north-east Kent coast has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest . The geology of the town consists mainly of London Clay , overlaid with brickearth in the west. The sand and clay of The Downs are subject to landslips . The Plenty Brook passes through the town's drainage system , allowing buildings to be built over
3150-559: A basilica constructed in her honour in southern Gaul . The Basilica Hilariana (built c. 145–155 ) was designed for the use of the cult of Cybele . The largest basilica built outside Rome was that built under the Antonine dynasty on the Byrsa hill in Carthage . The basilica was built together with a forum of enormous size and was contemporary with a great complex of public baths and
3375-495: A central nave and aisles , and usually a raised platform at the end opposite the door. In Europe and the Americas, the basilica remained the most common architectural style for churches of all Christian denominations, though this building plan has become less dominant in buildings constructed since the late 20th century. The Catholic Church has come to use the term to refer to its especially historic churches, without reference to
3600-460: A central nave flanked by two or more longitudinal aisles , with the roof at two levels, being higher in the centre over the nave to admit a clerestory and lower over the side-aisles. An apse at one end, or less frequently at both ends or on the side, usually contained the raised tribunal occupied by the Roman magistrates . The basilica was centrally located in every Roman town, usually adjacent to
3825-404: A cliff fall near Love Street Farm. Remains of a Roman road leading to the east gate of the fort have also been found, which were "substantial ... consisting of a sandstone platform [10–13 feet (3–4 m)] wide and at least [11 inches (30 cm)] deep." In 1817 the nearest access to transport by coach was at Upstreet , about 4 miles (6.4 km) south of Reculver, which lay on
4050-603: A commercial function integral to their local trade routes and economies. Amphorae discovered at basilicas attest their economic uses and can reveal their position in wider networks of exchange. At Dion near Mount Olympus in Macedonia , now an Archaeological Park , the latter 5th century Cemetery Basilica , a small church, was replete with potsherds from all over the Mediterranean , evidencing extensive economic activity took place there. Likewise at Maroni Petrera on Cyprus,
4275-539: A high percentage of residents over 65, compared with the national average of 16%. As a seaside town, Herne Bay is a popular retirement destination; many modern retirement complexes are located near the seafront. The economic activity of residents aged 16–74 was 36% in full-time employment, 13% in part-time employment, 9% self-employed , 3% unemployed, 2% students with jobs, 3% students without jobs, 18% retired, 7% looking after home or family, 6% permanently sick or disabled and 2% economically inactive for other reasons. This
4500-461: A human settlement, evidence for which begins with late Bronze Age and Iron Age ditches. These indicate an extensive settlement, where a Bronze Age palstave and Iron Age gold coins have been found. This was followed by a "fortlet" built by the Romans during their conquest of Britain , which began in 43 AD, and the existence of a Roman road leading to Canterbury, about 8.5 miles (13.7 km) to
4725-507: A large basilica church had been erected by 350, subsuming the earlier structures beneath it as a crypt. The basilica was the first church of San Clemente al Laterano . Similarly, at Santi Giovanni e Paolo al Celio , an entire ancient city block – a 2nd-century insula on the Caelian Hill – was buried beneath a 4th-century basilica. The site was already venerated as the martyrium of three early Christian burials beforehand, and part of
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#17328525429494950-567: A late 18th-century Kentish smock mill overlooking the village of Herne from a hilltop, is usually open to visitors on Sunday afternoons between April and September. A concrete funnel-shaped water tower overlooks Herne Bay from the top of Mickleburgh Hill. This water tower is now used as a base for radio transmitters . Herne Bay railway station is on the Chatham Main Line , which runs between Ramsgate in East Kent and London Victoria . It
5175-531: A long promontory then projected north-eastwards into the sea and formed the north-eastern extremity of mainland Kent: thus it offered observation on all sides, including both the Thames Estuary and the sea lane later known as the Wantsum Channel , which lay between it and the Isle of Thanet . It was probably built by soldiers of the Cohors I Baetasiorum , originally from Lower Germany , who had previously served at
5400-421: A map of about 1630 shows that the church then stood only about 500 feet (152 m) from the shore. In January 1658 the local justices of the peace were petitioned concerning "encroachments of the sea ... [which had] since Michaelmas last [29 September 1657] encroached on the land near six rods [99 feet (30 m) ], and will doubtless do more harm". The village's failure to support two "beer shops" in
5625-457: A market to be held weekly at Reculver on Thursdays, and an annual fair was held there on Saint Giles 's Day, 1 September. Oysters from the "Rutupian shore" – the shoreline around Richborough , a little over 8 miles (13 km) to the south-east – were noted as a delicacy by the 1st–2nd-century Roman poet Juvenal , and in 1576 oysters from Reculver itself were "reputed as farre to passe those of Whitstaple, as Whitstaple doe surmount
5850-749: A narrow strip of protected, cliff-top land about 1.5 miles (2 km) long, running from the remaining enclosure of the Roman fort west to Bishopstone Glen. Most of the cliff-top and all of the foreshore in this area are included in the Thanet Coast SSSI , the Thanet Coast and Sandwich Bay SPA and the similarly named Ramsar site; most of the Country Park is also part of the Bishopstone Cliffs local nature reserve , which covers 166.5 acres (67.4 ha) of
6075-659: A new Church of St Euphemia in Constantinople in 680, though Cyril Mango argued the translation never took place. Subsequently, Asterius's sermon On the Martyrdom of St Euphemia was advanced as an argument for iconodulism at the Second Council of Nicaea in 787. In the late 4th century, a large basilica church dedicated to Mary, mother of Jesus was constructed in Ephesus in the former south stoa (a commercial basilica) of
6300-605: A new aqueduct system running for 82 miles (132 km), then the longest in the Roman Empire. The basilica at Leptis Magna , built by the Septimius Severus a century later in about 216 is a notable 3rd century AD example of the traditional type, most notable among the works influenced by the Basilica Ulpia. The basilica at Leptis was built mainly of limestone ashlar , but the apses at either end were only limestone in
6525-424: A palace on the site of the Roman ruins. However, archaeological excavation has shown no evidence of this; Æthelberht's household would have been peripatetic, and the story has been described as probably a "pious legend". A church was built on the site of the Roman fort in about 669, when King Ecgberht of Kent granted land for the foundation of a monastery, which was dedicated to St Mary . The monastery developed as
6750-470: A person aged 16 to 18 who was in full-time education. The average household size was 2.74. The ethnicity of the town was 98.5% white, 0.6% mixed race , 0.4% Asian, 0.2% black and 0.3% Chinese or other. The place of birth of residents was 96.3% United Kingdom, 0.6% Republic of Ireland, 0.3% Germany, 0.6% other Western Europe countries, 0.2% Eastern Europe, 0.6% Africa, 0.3% Far East, 0.3% South Asia, 0.2% Middle East, 0.2% North America and 0.2% Oceania. Religion
6975-416: A piece of ground for the site of the town's first church, Christ Church, which was opened in 1834. In 1837, Mrs Ann Thwaytes , a wealthy widow from London, donated around £4,000 to build a 75 feet (23 m) clock tower on the town's seafront. It is believed to be the first freestanding, purpose-built clock tower in the world. During the 1840s, steamboats began running between Herne Bay and London. There
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7200-402: A population of 1,232. During the early 19th century, a smugglers' gang operated from the town. The gang were regularly involved in a series of fights with the preventive services until finally being overpowered in the 1820s. In the 1830s, a group of London investors, who recognised Herne Bay's potential as a seaside resort, built a wooden pier and a promenade on the town's seafront. This and
7425-483: A population of 38,563. 1 The town of Herne Bay took its name from the neighbouring village of Herne , two kilometres inland from the bay. The word herne , meaning a place on a corner of land, evolved from the Old English hyrne , meaning corner. The village was first recorded in around 1100 as Hyrnan. The corner may relate to the sharp turn in the minor Roman road between Canterbury and Reculver at Herne. One of
7650-563: A process akin to baptism. In the eastern cemetery of Hierapolis the 5th century domed octagonal martyrium of Philip the Apostle was built alongside a basilica church, while at Myra the Basilica of St Nicholas was constructed at the tomb of Saint Nicholas . At Constantinople the earliest basilica churches, like the 5th century basilica at the Monastery of Stoudios , were mostly equipped with
7875-602: A rare example of an Antique statue that has never been underground. According to the Liber Pontificalis , Constantine was also responsible for the rich interior decoration of the Lateran Baptistery constructed under Pope Sylvester I (r. 314–335), sited about 50 metres (160 ft). The Lateran Baptistery was the first monumental free-standing baptistery, and in subsequent centuries Christian basilica churches were often endowed with such baptisteries. At Cirta ,
8100-606: A re-invention of the story in which two brothers, Robert and Richard de Birchington, are substituted for the two sisters. Clive Aslet used the byname in noting that, in Ian Fleming 's James Bond novel Goldfinger , the villain Auric Goldfinger "lived at Reculver". Reculver Country Park is a nature reserve managed by Canterbury City Council and the Kent Wildlife Trust . It covers 64 acres (26 ha) and comprises
8325-516: A revival as local tourism developed and there are now two caravan parks . The 2021 census recorded 4,400 people (rounded to the nearest 100) in the Reculver area. The Reculver coastline is within a Site of Special Scientific Interest , a Special Protection Area and a Ramsar site, including most of Reculver Country Park, which itself includes much of Bishopstone Cliffs local nature reserve . While nationally scarce plants and insects are found there,
8550-471: A route that ran between London, Canterbury and the Isle of Thanet. In 1839 coaches and vans ran daily from Herne Bay to Canterbury and on to destinations on the southern and eastern coasts of Kent, with access to the English Channel , at Deal , Dover , Sandgate and Hythe . In 1865 transport from Herne Bay was available by "fly" – a type of one-horse hackney carriage . Today, bus services calling at
8775-483: A royal toll-station or a "significant coastal trading settlement," given the types and large quantity of coins found there. Other early Anglo-Saxon finds include a fragment of a gilt bronze brooch, or fibula , which was originally circular and set with coloured stones or glass, a claw beaker and pottery. Antiquarians such as the 18th-century clergyman John Duncombe believed that King Æthelberht of Kent moved his royal court there from Canterbury in about 597, and built
9000-435: A ruinated town, and the household furniture, dress, and equipment of the horses belonging to the inhabitants of it, [were] continually found among the sands ... In September 1804 a high tide and strong winds led to the destruction of five houses, one of which was "an ancient building, immediately opposite the public house, and had the appearance of having been part of some monastic erection". The following year, according to
9225-448: A seal-watching site in the Thames estuary. The Victorian gardens on the seafront were then able to be fully restored. The Central Bandstand , built in 1924, was refurbished after years of disrepair and closure to the public. A swimming pool and cinema were added to the town centre in the early 1990s. In 2005, a wind-farm with thirty 2.75 MW wind turbines was built 5 miles (8 km) off
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9450-461: A seam of coal 48 feet (14.6 m) thick at nearby Chislet and was developing a colliery there; possible samples of coal were retrieved from the borehole at a depth of 1,129 feet (344.1 m), but it was abandoned, no workable seam having been found. Today Reculver is dominated by static caravan parks , the first of which appeared after the Second World War. Also present are a country park,
9675-413: A seaside resort was during the late Victorian era; the population nearly doubled from 4,410 to 8,442 between 1881 and 1901. Much of the resulting late Victorian seafront architecture is still in existence today. In 1910, a pavilion was added to the landward end of the pier. By 1931, the town's population had grown to 14,533. At the beginning of World War II, the army cut two gaps between the landward end of
9900-428: A set of notes written by the parish clerk John Brett, "Reculver Church and willage stood in safety", but in 1806 the sea began to encroach on the village, and in 1807 the local farmers dismantled the sea defences, after which "the village became a total [wreck] to the mercy of the sea." A further scheme to protect the cliff and church was proposed by John Rennie , but a decision was taken on 12 January 1808 to demolish
10125-507: A small cruciform crypt ( Ancient Greek : κρυπτή , romanized : kryptḗ , lit. 'hidden'), a space under the church floor beneath the altar. Typically, these crypts were accessed from the apse's interior, though not always, as at the 6th century Church of St John at the Hebdomon , where access was from outside the apse. At Thessaloniki, the Roman bath where tradition held Demetrius of Thessaloniki had been martyred
10350-415: A statue perhaps of the emperor, while the entrances were from the long sides. The Roman basilica was a large public building where business or legal matters could be transacted. As early as the time of Augustus , a public basilica for transacting business had been part of any settlement that considered itself a city, used in the same way as the covered market houses of late medieval northern Europe, where
10575-529: A stop adjacent to the King Ethelbert Inn connect Reculver with Herne Bay, Canterbury, Birchington and Margate. Herne Bay Herne Bay / h ɜːr n / is a seaside town on the north coast of Kent in South East England . It is 6 miles (10 km) north of Canterbury and 4 miles (6 km) east of Whitstable . It neighbours the ancient villages of Herne and Reculver and is part of
10800-468: A storm in 1978, leaving the end of the pier isolated in the sea. It has not been rebuilt due to the cost; however, residents and businesses in the town have campaigned for its restoration. The sports centre was demolished in 2012, leaving a bare platform. Since 1983, Herne Bay has been in the Herne Bay and Sandwich constituency, represented by Roger Gale . Herne Bay, along with Whitstable and Canterbury,
11025-402: A theatre and shops at the entrance was built in 1873. However, it was too short for steamboats to berth at. The pier proved to be unprofitable and in 1896 construction began on a replacement iron pier which would be longer and feature an electric tram. At 3,600 feet (1,097 m), this pier was the second longest in the country, behind only the pier at Southend-on-Sea . The town's heyday as
11250-412: A visit there, the coastline to the north had receded to within little more than a quarter of a mile (400 m) of the "Towne [which] at this tyme [was] but Village lyke". Soon afterwards, in 1576, William Lambarde described Reculver as "poore and simple". In 1588 there were 165 communicants – people taking part in services of holy communion at the church – and in 1640 there were 169, but
11475-556: A yearly fair , and it was a member of the Cinque Port of Sandwich . The settlement declined as the Wantsum Channel silted up, and coastal erosion claimed many buildings constructed on the soft sandy cliffs. The village was largely abandoned in the late 18th century, and most of the church was demolished in the early 19th century. Protecting the ruins and the rest of Reculver from erosion is an ongoing challenge. The 20th century saw
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#173285254294911700-609: Is 3:7. The basilica at Ephesus is typical of the basilicas in the Roman East, which usually have a very elongated footprint and a ratio between 1:5 and 1:9, with open porticoes facing the agora (the Hellenic forum); this design was influenced by the existing tradition of long stoae in Hellenistic Asia . Provinces in the west lacked this tradition, and the basilicas the Romans commissioned there were more typically Italian, with
11925-482: Is about 2 miles (3.2 km) by road from the nearest major junction of the A299 , or Thanet Way. From Roman times there was a connection to Canterbury by road, the presence of which is reflected in parish boundaries for much of its length. An estate map of 1685 shows the Reculver end of this road as "The King's highe Way", which may have been in use until 1875, when it was reported that a public road had been diverted because of
12150-409: Is about 728 millimetres (28.7 in), with the highest rainfall from October to January. This is lower than the national average annual rainfall of 838 millimetres (33 in). Occasional drought conditions can lead to the imposition of Temporary Use Bans to conserve water supplies, and it was announced in 2013 that a water desalination plant was to be built at Reculver to increase supplies. In
12375-551: Is also an infrequent bus service 7 , which formerly linked Herne Bay to Canterbury, but Triangle/6 routes were more frequent, quick and direct; as a result, the 7 was shortened significantly in June 2022. The A299 road , also known as the Thanet Way, runs between Ramsgate and Faversham via Herne Bay and Whitstable. The road merges with the M2 motorway at Faversham. In the late 1990s, the road
12600-716: Is also served by Southeastern high speed services to London St Pancras . Other stations on these lines include Broadstairs , Margate , Whitstable , Faversham , Gillingham , Rochester , Bromley South , Gravesend and Stratford International . Herne Bay is around 1 hour and 40 minutes from London Victoria and 80 minutes from St Pancras. A selection of trains run to London's Cannon Street and London Blackfriars , primarily for business commuting. There are Stagecoach South East bus services (Triangle/6/36) running to neighbouring Whitstable and to Canterbury, where many Herne Bay residents go to work and shop. The 36 bus route runs to Margate, another popular seaside resort There
12825-519: Is home to the cliff-top remains of St Mary's Church, Reculver , with its distinctive twin towers, sited within the remains of a Roman fort; a visitor centre offers information on the local geology, history and wildlife. Wildwood Discovery Park is about 2.7 miles (4.3 km) south of Herne Bay on the A291 road between there and Sturry , and features over 50 species of native British animals, such as deer, badgers, wild boar and wolves. Herne Mill,
13050-458: Is in Avenue Road. Herne Bay Festival happens every August with ten days of almost every event being free, including live music , performance, creative commissions, cultural treats, family fun, workshops, competitions, walks, talks, exhibitions and family entertainment. Other summer events include Happy Days, a programme of bandstand concerts and family entertainment, Herne Bay Carnival through
13275-533: Is in Beltinge, about 1.9 miles (3.1 km) to the west-southwest. The nearest general practitioner (GP) surgery is about 1.4 miles (2.3 km) to the south-west, between Bishopstone and Hillborough, with others in Beltinge, Herne Bay, Broomfield and St Nicholas-at-Wade. While the nearest general hospital is the Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital, about 2.5 miles (4 km) to the west in Herne Bay,
13500-474: Is in the City of Canterbury local government district , although it remains a separate town, with countryside between it and Canterbury. The town contains the five electoral wards of Heron, Herne and Broomfield , Greenhill and Eddington, West Bay and Reculver. These wards have thirteen of the fifty seats on the Canterbury City council . As at the 2011 local elections , twelve of those seats were held by
13725-549: Is part of a Greco-inspired building that incorporates the Heron's swimming pool and the council offices. The town is a popular destination for water sports ; it has clubs for sailing, rowing and yachting. The town has hosted the Zapcat powerboat racing championships. Fishing is popular on the pier and Herne Bay Angling Association competes nationally in beach and boat fishing competitions. Basilica In Ancient Roman architecture ,
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#173285254294913950-686: Is the Great Basilica in Philippopolis ( Plovdiv , Bulgaria) from the 4th century AD. In the late 4th century the dispute between Nicene and Arian Christianity came to head at Mediolanum ( Milan ), where Ambrose was bishop. At Easter in 386 the Arian party, preferred by the Theodosian dynasty , sought to wrest the use of the basilica from the Nicene partisan Ambrose. According to Augustine of Hippo ,
14175-596: Is the "last seaward extension of the Blean Hills." Sediments laid down around 55 million years ago are particularly well displayed in the cliffs to the west. 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 glauconitic and is of Thanetian (late Paleocene ) age. It rests unconformably on
14400-475: Is thought to have been a much larger stream in ancient times . The coastline has two distinct bays, separated by a jut of land created by silt from the outflow of the brook into the sea. The first buildings in the town were built along the east bay, a short distance from the brook outflow, where the road from Canterbury met the sea. The town has since spread across both bays, across the Plenty Brook valley and onto
14625-815: The Acts of the Apostles ( Acts 18:12–17 ) was investigated and found innocent by the Suffect Consul Lucius Junius Gallio Annaeanus , the brother of Seneca the Younger , after charges were brought against him by members of the local Jewish diaspora . Modern tradition instead associates the incident with an open-air inscribed bema in the forum itself. The emperor Trajan constructed his own imperial forum in Rome accompanied by his Basilica Ulpia dedicated in 112. Trajan's Forum (Latin: forum Traiani )
14850-430: The basilica and the sacellum , or shrine , both being parts of the headquarters building, or principia : this [was] the first time the inscribed phrase aedes principiorum [could] be ... identified with the official shrine of [a Roman military] headquarters building, hitherto unmentioned in any inscription ... [It was] also the first certain ... application of the name basilica to [this element of
15075-671: The Basilica Constantiniana on the Lateran Hill. This basilica became Rome's cathedral church, known as St John Lateran , and was more richly decorated and larger than any previous Christian structure. However, because of its remote position from the Forum Romanum on the city's edge, it did not connect with the older imperial basilicas in the fora of Rome. Outside the basilica was the Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius ,
15300-491: The Camping and Caravanning Club . That caravan park was closed by 2015, when Canterbury City Council undertook a consultation on its incorporation into the country park. Reculver Church of England Primary School is adjacent to the church at Hillborough. The school's site also hosts Beltinge Day Nursery and Reculver Breakfast and Afterschool Club. The nearest school for older children is Herne Bay High School. The nearest post office
15525-849: The Chalk Group , and forms the base of the cliffs in the Reculver and Herne Bay area. Above the Thanet Sand are the Upnor Formation , a medium sandstone, and the sandy clays of the Harwich Formation at the Paleocene– Eocene boundary. The highest cliffs, rising to a maximum height of about 115 feet (35 m) to the west of Reculver, have a cap of London Clay , a fine silty clay of Eocene age. The surface consists mainly of flint gravel with some areas of brickearth , both of which are glacial deposits . Rocks such as these are easily washed away by
15750-563: The Church of Antioch . The Council of 410 stipulated that on Sunday the archdeacon would read the Gospels from the bema . Standing near the bema , the lay folk could chant responses to the reading and if positioned near the šqāqonā ("a walled floor-level pathway connecting the bema to the altar area") could try to kiss or touch the Gospel Book as it was processed from the deacons ' room to
15975-400: The Church of the East developed at typical pattern of basilica churches. Separate entrances for men and women were installed in the southern or northern wall; within, the east end of the nave was reserved for men, while women and children were stood behind. In the nave was a bema , from which Scripture could be read, and which were inspired by the equivalent in synagogues and regularised by
16200-559: The City of Canterbury local government district, although it remains a separate town with countryside between it and Canterbury. Herne Bay's seafront is home to the world's first freestanding purpose-built Clock Tower , built in 1837. From the late Victorian period until 1978, the town had the second-longest pier in the United Kingdom. The town began as a small shipping community, receiving goods and passengers from London en route to Canterbury and Dover . The town rose to prominence as
16425-515: The Conservatives and one by the Liberal Democrats . Herne Bay is in north-east Kent, on the coast of the Thames Estuary . The town is situated 4.5 miles (7.2 km) east of Whitstable and 6.6 miles (10.6 km) north-north-east of the city of Canterbury . The village of Herne is about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to the south and the village of Reculver is about 3 miles (4.8 km) to
16650-609: The Flavian dynasty . The Basilica of the Virgin Mary was probably the venue for the 431 Council of Ephesus and the 449 Second Council of Ephesus , both convened by Theodosius II . At some point during the Christianisation of the Roman world, Christian crosses were cut into the faces of the colossal statues of Augustus and Livia that stood in the basilica- stoa of Ephesus; the crosses were perhaps intended to exorcise demons in
16875-465: The Holy Land and Rome, and at Milan and Constantinople. Around 310, while still a self-proclaimed augustus unrecognised at Rome, Constantine began the construction of the Basilica Constantiniana or Aula Palatina , 'palatine hall', as a reception hall for his imperial seat at Trier ( Augusta Treverorum ), capital of Belgica Prima . On the exterior, Constantine's palatine basilica
17100-648: The architectural form . The Latin word basilica derives from Ancient Greek : βασιλικὴ στοά , romanized : basilikḗ stoá , lit. 'royal stoa '. The first known basilica—the Basilica Porcia in the Roman Forum —was constructed in 184 BC by Marcus Porcius Cato (the Elder) . After the construction of Cato the Elder's basilica, the term came to be applied to any large covered hall, whether it
17325-617: The bema and thence to the altar . Some ten Eastern churches in eastern Syria have been investigated by thorough archaeology . A Christian basilica was constructed in the first half of the 5th century at Olympia , where the statue of Zeus by Phidias had been noted as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World ever since the 2nd century BC list compiled by Antipater of Sidon . Cultural tourism thrived at Olympia and Ancient Greek religion continued to be practised there well into
17550-669: The carpet sea squirt ( Didemnum vexillum ), also known as "marine vomit". First recorded in UK waters in 2008, the carpet sea squirt is indigenous to the sea around Japan, but it has been carried to other parts of the world, including New Zealand and the US, on boat hulls, fishing equipment and floating seaweed. Carpet sea squirt can overgrow other, sessile species, "potentially smothering species living in gravel and affecting fisheries." A visitor centre in Reculver Country Park re-opened in 2009 as
17775-429: The census of 1801 the number of people present in the parish of Reculver, enclosing an area of about 2 square miles (5 km) and including the settlements of Hillborough, Bishopstone and part of Broomfield, was given as 252, and this figure remained roughly stable until the 20th century when a dramatic increase was recorded: in the census of 1931, the number was given as 829. But this included holidaymakers, and in 2005
18000-809: The grammar schools in Faversham, Ramsgate and Canterbury. Herne Bay Junior School, situated in the town centre, has about 500 students. It was originally established in the late Victorian era and was formerly joined with the neighbouring Herne Bay Infant school . In 2006, Herne Bay Junior School's Key Stage 2 results ranked 139th out of Kent's 386 state primary schools. The village schools are Herne Primary School, Herne Church of England Junior School, Herne Church of England Infant and Nursery School, Briary Primary School in Greenhill, Hampton Primary School and Reculver Church of England Primary School. The Church of England schools are voluntary controlled (that is, owned by
18225-510: The hypostyle hall on Delos , but the architectural form is most derived from the audience halls in the royal palaces of the Diadochi kingdoms of the Hellenistic period . These rooms were typically a high nave flanked by colonnades. These basilicas were rectangular, typically with central nave and aisles, usually with a slightly raised platform and an apse at each of the two ends, adorned with
18450-450: The insula had been decorated in the style favoured by Christian communities frequenting the early Catacombs of Rome . By 350 in Serdica ( Sofia , Bulgaria ), a monumental basilica – the Church of Saint Sophia – was erected, covering earlier structures including a Christian chapel, an oratory, and a cemetery dated to c. 310. Other major basilica from this period, in this part of Europe,
18675-460: The local elections of 2019 , the seat was won by Rachel Lois Carnac, Conservative . At the national level Reculver is in the English parliamentary constituency of North Thanet , for which Roger Gale (Conservative) has been MP since 1983. 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 50 feet (15 m), which
18900-637: The patricia and daughter of Olybrius , Anicia Juliana . Pope Vigilius fled there from Constantinople during the Three-Chapter Controversy . The basilica, which lay outside the walls of Chalcedon, was destroyed by the Persians in the Byzantine–Sasanian War of 602–628 during one of the Sasanian occupations of the city in 615 and 626. The relics of Euphemia were reportedly translated to
19125-473: The 1660s points clearly to a declining population, and the village was mostly abandoned around the end of the 18th century, its residents moving to Hillborough , about 1.25 miles (2 km) south-west of Reculver but within the same parish. Concern about erosion of the cliff on which the church stood, and the possible inundation of the village, had led the commissioners of sewers to install costly sea defences consisting of planking and piling before 1783, when it
19350-453: The 1990s, these defences were deemed to be inadequate and an offshore breakwater , now known as Neptune's Arm, was built to protect the most vulnerable areas of the town. Herne Bay experiences an oceanic climate ( Köppen climate classification Cfb). The nearest Met Office station is at Manston , 10 miles east. In east Kent , the warmest time of the year is July and August, when maximum temperatures average around 21 °C (70 °F);
19575-532: The 2001 census is unavailable. In the Middle Ages Reculver was one of several members, or "limbs", of the Cinque Port of Sandwich : possibly originating in a loose association in the 11th century, this status was first recorded in about 1300. Like other limbs at Fordwich , Deal , Sarre and Stonar, it was then involved in maritime trade, and it shared in the Cinque Ports' duty to supply ships and men for
19800-620: The 6th century, share a common origin with the Christian basilicas in the civic basilicas and in the pre-Roman style of hypostyle halls in the Mediterranean Basin, particularly in Egypt, where pre-classical hypostyles continued to be built in the imperial period and were themselves converted into churches in the 6th century. Other influences on the evolution of Christian basilicas may have come from elements of domestic and palatial architecture during
20025-653: The Basilica Porcia on the Forum Romanum , the Basilica Aemilia was built in 179 BC, and the Basilica Sempronia in 169 BC. In the Republic two types of basilica were built across Italy in the mid-2nd to early 1st centuries BC: either they were nearly square as at Fanum Fortunae , designed by Vitruvius , and Cosa , with a 3:4 width-length ratio; or else they were more rectangular, as Pompeii's basilica, whose ratio
20250-716: The Basilica of Maxentius in the Forum Romanum or more practical like the so-called Basilica of Bahira in Bosra , while the Basilica Constantiniana on the Lateran Hill was of intermediate scale. This basilica, begun in 313, was the first imperial Christian basilica. Imperial basilicas were first constructed for the Christian Eucharist liturgy in the reign of Constantine. Basilica churches were not economically inactive. Like non-Christian or civic basilicas, basilica churches had
20475-573: The Diocletianic Persecution – were housed in a martyrium accompanied by a basilica. The basilica already existed when Egeria passed through Chalcedon in 384, and in 436 Melania the Younger visited the church on her own journey to the Holy Land. From the description of Evagrius Scholasticus the church is identifiable as an aisled basilica attached to the martyrium and preceded by an atrium . The Council of Chalcedon (8–31 October 451)
20700-533: The Great . In the post Nicene period, basilicas became a standard model for Christian spaces for congregational worship throughout the Mediterranean and Europe . From the early 4th century, Christian basilicas, along with their associated catacombs , were used for burial of the dead. By extension, the name was later applied to Christian churches that adopted the same basic plan. It continues to be used in an architectural sense to describe rectangular buildings with
20925-510: The Great . The early churches of Rome were basilicas with an apsidal tribunal and used the same construction techniques of columns and timber roofing. At the start of the 4th century at Rome there was a change in burial and funerary practice, moving away from earlier preferences for inhumation in cemeteries – popular from the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD – to the newer practice of burial in catacombs and inhumation inside Christian basilicas themselves. Conversely, new basilicas often were erected on
21150-541: The Herne Bay area was £516 (£26,906 per year). The advent of overseas travel and changes to holiday trends eventually caused the town's economy to decline after the 1960s; regular flooding of the Plenty Brook prevented redevelopment of the town centre. However, extensive seafront regeneration in the 1990s followed the creation of the Neptune's Arm sea defence jetty. The jetty has created a small harbour used by leisure boats and from where tourists can take sailing yacht trips to
21375-468: The King Ethelbert public house, which is a free house , and a nearby shop and cafe. Reculver was defined as a "key heritage area" in 2008, and there are plans for its development as a destination for green tourism . Canterbury City Council's Reculver Masterplan , adopted in 2009, envisaged the creation of 100 touring pitches in its caravan park, south-east of the Roman fort, which was then leased to
21600-594: The Maeander . The Great Basilica in Antioch of Pisidia is a rare securely dated 4th century Christian basilica and was the city's cathedral church. The mosaics of the floor credit Optimus, the bishop, with its dedication. Optimus was a contemporary of Basil of Caesarea and corresponded with him c. 377. Optimus was the city's delegate at the First Council of Constantinople in 381, so the 70 m-long single-apsed basilica near
21825-807: The Mediterranean world at all evenly. Christian basilicas and martyria attributable to the 4th century are rare on the Greek mainland and on the Cyclades , while the Christian basilicas of Egypt, Cyprus , Syria , Transjordan , Hispania , and Gaul are nearly all of later date. The basilica at Ephesus's Magnesian Gate , the episcopal church at Laodicea on the Lycus , and two extramural churches at Sardis have all been considered 4th century constructions, but on weak evidence. Development of pottery chronologies for Late Antiquity had helped resolve questions of dating basilicas of
22050-516: The Reculver Renewable Energy and Interpretation Centre, "marking 200 years of the moving of Reculver village". The centre features a log burner fuelled by logs from the Blean woodland , solar and photovoltaic panels provide electrical power, and there are displays describing the history, geography and wildlife of the area. Reculver is at the end of an unclassified road , Reculver Lane, and
22275-627: The Reculver testing site to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the exploit. Two prototype bouncing bombs, about 6 feet (2 m) long and 3 feet (1 m) wide, lay in marshland behind the sea wall until about 1977, when they were removed by the Army . Other prototypes were recovered from the shoreline in 1997, one of which is in Herne Bay Museum and Gallery , a little over 3 miles (5 km) west of Reculver. Others are on display in Dover Castle and in
22500-681: The Republic of Ireland and three from South Africa. Gender was given as 69 female and 66 male, and the age distribution was 12 individuals aged 0–5 years (8.8%), 16 aged 6–16 years (14%), 30 aged 17–35 years (22.2%), 14 aged 36–45 years (10.3%), 44 aged 46–64 years (32.5%) and 21 aged 65 years and over (15.5%). Half (67) of all the individuals recorded were described as economically active, with 58 of these having employers and nine being self-employed; none were recorded as full-time students or unemployed. Twenty-four people (17.7%) were described as retired. Of those aged 16–74 years, 14 (12.8%) were placed at
22725-477: The Roman fort of Alauna at Maryport in Cumbria at least until the early 180s, since tiles recovered from the fort are stamped "CIB". The Notitia Dignitatum , a Roman administrative document from the early 5th century, also records the presence of the Cohors I Baetasiorum at Reculver, then known as Regulbium . There must also have been a harbour nearby in Roman times, and, though this has not yet been found, it
22950-471: The Roman period were identified to the west of the fort, ten of which were square; all were cut into the hard layer of sandstone below the soft sandstone of the Thanet Beds , thus tapping into the water table . These and other 20th-century finds from the Roman period extend to 1,120 feet (341.4 m) west of the fort, and date to a period between 170 and 360, roughly coinciding with the period of occupation at
23175-946: The Sacred Heart is in Clarence Road. There is a Baptist church in the High Street. There is a United ( Methodist and United Reformed ) Church in Mortimer Street. There is also a United Reformed Church in The Meadows, Broomfield. Herne Bay Salvation Army Corps is based in Richmond Street. The Canopy Church is in South Road. The Beacon Church meets at Briary School, Greenhill, Herne Bay. Herne Bay Evangelical Free Church meets in Sunnyhill Road. Herne Bay Christian Spiritualist Church
23400-532: The Spitfire & Hurricane Memorial Museum at the former RAF Manston , on the Isle of Thanet. Part of an inert Upkeep bomb, consisting mostly of a circular end with some of its filling still adhering, was uncovered during beach maintenance work undertaken at Reculver by the Environment Agency on 29 March 2017. In the 10th-century charter by which King Eadred gave Reculver to the archbishops of Canterbury,
23625-604: The Temple of Hadrian Olympios . Ephesus was the centre of the Roman province of Asia , and was the site of the city's famed Temple of Artemis , one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It had also been a centre of the Roman imperial cult in Asia; Ephesus was three times declared neokoros ( lit. ' temple-warden ' ) and had constructed a Temple of the Sebastoi to
23850-564: The Wantsum Channel, already present in Anglo-Saxon times and exemplified by Reculver's membership of the Cinque Port of Sandwich later in the Middle Ages. The importance of the Wantsum Channel was such that, when the River Thames froze in 1269, trade between Sandwich and London had to be carried out overland. Historical records for the channel are sparse after 1269, perhaps "because the route
24075-446: The administrative and commercial centres of major Roman settlements: the "quintessential architectural expression of Roman administration". Adjoining it there were normally various offices and rooms housing the curia and a shrine for the tutela . Like Roman public baths , basilicas were commonly used as venues for the display of honorific statues and other sculptures, complementing the outdoor public spaces and thoroughfares. Beside
24300-611: The amphorae unearthed by archaeologists in the 5th century basilica church had been imported from North Africa, Egypt, Palestine , and the Aegean basin , as well as from neighbouring Asia Minor . According to Vegetius , writing c. 390, basilicas were convenient for drilling soldiers of the Late Roman army during inclement weather. The 4th century Basilica of Maxentius , begun by Maxentius between 306 and 312 and according to Aurelius Victor 's De Caesaribus completed by Constantine I,
24525-504: The archaeological context. Domitian constructed a basilica on the Palatine Hill for his imperial residential complex around 92 AD, and a palatine basilica was typical in imperial palaces throughout the imperial period. Long, rectangular basilicas with internal peristyle became a quintessential element of Roman urbanism , often forming the architectural background to the city forum and used for diverse purposes. Beginning with Cato in
24750-527: The archbishop of Canterbury in both 1066 and 1086, in reality it must again have been lost to him, since William the Conqueror is recorded as having returned it, among other churches and properties, to the archbishop at his death. In the 13th century Reculver was a parish of "exceptional wealth", and the considerable enlargement of the church building during the Middle Ages indicates that the settlement had become
24975-474: The basilica became the most prestigious style of church building, was "normative" for church buildings by the end of the 4th century, and were ubiquitous in western Asia, North Africa, and most of Europe by the close of the 7th century. Christians also continued to hold services in synagogues, houses, and gardens, and continued practising baptism in rivers, ponds, and Roman bathhouses. The development of Christian basilicas began even before Constantine's reign:
25200-568: The basilica- stoa had two storeys and three aisles and extended the length of the civic agora 's north side, complete with colossal statues of the emperor Augustus and his imperial family. The remains of a large subterranean Neopythagorean basilica dating from the 1st century AD were found near the Porta Maggiore in Rome in 1917, and is known as the Porta Maggiore Basilica . After its destruction in 60 AD, Londinium ( London )
25425-488: The blackest records of the nineteenth century". Archaeological excavations in the 19th and 20th centuries established the building sequence of the church, and areas of missing wall are marked on the ground by concrete edged with flint. The ruins are now in the care of English Heritage . The sea defences protecting them were installed by Trinity House in 1810, but are now maintained by the Environment Agency . Fragments of
25650-609: The bomb were tested at Reculver, leading to the development of the operational version known as " Upkeep ". This bomb was used by the RAF 's 617 Squadron in Operation Chastise , otherwise known as the Dambuster raids, in which dams in the Ruhr district of Germany were attacked on the night of 16–17 May 1943 by formations of Lancaster bombers . On 17 May 2003 a Lancaster bomber overflew
25875-417: The bottom with puddled clay . He believed that these were for storing rainwater, and noted that a Roman strigil , which would have been used in a bath house, had been found in a similar cistern at Reculver; he also observed that "such a multitude [of cisterns] has been discovered, almost in our memory, as proves that the ancient inhabitants of the place were very numerous." In the 20th century twelve wells of
26100-402: The boundary of the mainland part of the estate was about the same as those for the adjoining parishes of Reculver, Hoath and Herne in the 20th century, and the estate included part of the Isle of Thanet. In 1086, Domesday Book named Reculver as a hundred, meaning that it was probably the meeting-place for the local hundred court . The hundred included Hoath and Herne, and it may also have included
26325-403: The building]. These structures were found by archaeologists, together with probable officers' quarters, barracks and a bath house . A Roman oven found 200 feet (61 m) south-east of the fort was probably used for drying food such as corn and fish; its main chamber measured about 16 feet (4.9 m) by 15 feet (4.8 m) overall. The fort was located on a low hill, beyond which
26550-539: The central nave divided from the side-aisles by an internal colonnade in regular proportions. Beginning with the Forum of Caesar (Latin: forum Iulium ) at the end of the Roman Republic, the centre of Rome was embellished with a series of imperial fora typified by a large open space surrounded by a peristyle, honorific statues of the imperial family ( gens ), and a basilica, often accompanied by other facilities like
26775-480: The centre of a "large estate, a manor and a parish", and, by the early 9th century, it had become "extremely wealthy", but it then fell under the control of the archbishops of Canterbury . In 811 Archbishop Wulfred is recorded as having deprived the monastery of some of its land, and soon after it featured in a "monumental showdown" between Wulfred and King Coenwulf of Mercia over the control of monasteries. In 838 control of all monasteries under Canterbury's authority
27000-408: The centre of the town, incorporates a children's play area, a large shallow duck pond often used for remote control boats, basketball and tennis courts and a large expanse of grass for field games. The park has a monument and an 'Avenue of Remembrance' as memorials to the town's residents killed during the two world wars. Reculver Country Park is about 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Herne Bay, and
27225-421: The church at Hoath remained a perpetual curacy belonging to Reculver parish until 1960. Records for the poll tax of 1377 show that there were then 364 individuals of 14 years and above, not including "honest beggars", in the reduced parish of Reculver, who paid a total of £6.1s.4d. (£6.07) towards the tax. The thriving medieval township depended partly on its position on a maritime trade route through
27450-415: The church in the 760s. The church building was considerably enlarged over time, the last additions being made in the 15th century. But it retained many prominent Anglo-Saxon features, including a triple chancel arch and a stone high cross , though this had been removed by 1784. The church was demolished in 1809, in what has been described as "an act of vandalism for which there can be few parallels even in
27675-761: The church) but, like the other schools, are run by Kent County Council . In 2006, Reculver Church of England Primary School achieved the best Key Stage 2 performances of the schools in the Herne Bay area, ranking 133rd out of Kent's 386 state primary schools. Canterbury College @ Herne Bay is a branch of Canterbury College in Herne Bay town centre , which provides a range of short information technology courses to adults. Whitstable Adult education Centre runs adult learning courses at various Herne Bay locations. The Church of England has two parishes in Herne Bay: Christ Church with St Andrew's, and St Martin's with St Peter's. The Catholic Church of Our Lady of
27900-472: The church. By March 1809, erosion of the cliff had brought it to within 12 feet (4 m) of the church, and demolition was begun in September that year. Trinity House intervened to ensure that the towers were preserved as a navigational aid , and in 1810 it bought what was left of the structure for £100 and built the first groynes , designed to protect the cliff on which the ruined church stands. The vicarage
28125-563: The city walls must have been constructed around that time. Pisidia had a number of Christian basilicas constructed in Late Antiquity, particularly in former bouleuteria , as at Sagalassos , Selge , Pednelissus , while a civic basilica was converted for Christians' use in Cremna . At Chalcedon , opposite Constantinople on the Bosporus, the relics of Euphemia – a supposed Christian martyr of
28350-548: The closest hospital with an Accident and Emergency (A&E) department is the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital, about 8.2 miles (13.2 km) to the east in Margate . The nearest community centre is Reculver and Beltinge Memorial Hall, about 1.9 miles (3.1 km) to the west-southwest. The medieval towers of the ruined church of St Mary are Reculver's "most dominant features". They were added in
28575-461: The coast of Herne Bay and Whitstable , generating a total of 82.5 MW of electricity. The recent upgrades by the Council have helped improve the image of the town and raise its profile. It is hoped this will attract new investment in tourism and business by the private sector, and lead to the regeneration of the town's economy. In 2006, Canterbury City Council began a public consultation to discuss
28800-519: The coastline between Beltinge and Reculver. In winter brent geese and wading birds such as sanderlings and turnstones may be seen; during the summer months the largest colony of sand martins in Kent nests in the soft cliffs, on top of which fulmars were also reported to have begun nesting in 2013, and wading curlews may be seen at any time. The grasslands on the cliff top are among the few remaining cliff-top wildflower meadows left in Kent, and are home to butterflies and skylarks . Also present are
29025-487: The coastline such as the country park will be allowed to continue eroding, and others – including the site of the Roman fort and the medieval church – will be protected from further erosion. New sea defences were built in the 1990s, including covering the beaches around the church with boulders . The warmest time of year in Kent is in July and August, with average maximum temperatures of around 21 °C (70 °F), and
29250-511: The coolest is in January and February, with average minimum temperatures of around 1 °C (34 °F). Average maximum and minimum temperatures are about 0.5 °C (0.3 °F) higher than they are nationally. 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. Average annual rainfall in Kent
29475-454: The coolest months are January and February, when minimum temperatures average around 1 °C (34 °F). East Kent's average maximum and minimum temperatures are around 1/2 °C higher than the national average. Herne Bay is sometimes warmer than other parts of Kent as it is backed by the North Downs to the south, causing a Foehn effect when winds are from a south or south westerly direction. Between 1999 and 2005, Herne Bay recorded
29700-460: The cores of the walls are visible, consisting mostly of flint and concrete and standing only 8.6 feet (2.6 m) high at their highest. Roman forts were normally accompanied by a civilian settlement, or vicus : at Reculver this lay outside the north and west sides of the fort, much of it in areas now lost to the sea, and was extensive, perhaps covering "some ten hectares [25 acres] in all." In 1936 R.F. Jessup noted that "a Roman building with
29925-402: The courtyard of the Palazzo dei Conservatori on the Capitoline Hill , part of the Capitoline Museums . Opposite the northern apse on the southern wall, another monumental entrance was added and elaborated with a portico of porphyry columns. One of the remaining marble interior columns was removed in 1613 by Pope Paul V and set up as an honorific column outside Santa Maria Maggiore . In
30150-431: The dispute resulted in Ambrose organising an 'orthodox' sit-in at the basilica and arranged the miraculous invention and translation of martyrs , whose hidden remains had been revealed in a vision . During the sit-in, Augustine credits Ambrose with the introduction from the "eastern regions" of antiphonal chanting, to give heart to the orthodox congregation, though in fact music was likely part of Christian ritual since
30375-512: The early 4th century Eusebius used the word basilica ( Ancient Greek : βασιλική , romanized : basilikḗ ) to refer to Christian churches; in subsequent centuries as before, the word basilica referred in Greek to the civic, non-ecclesiastical buildings, and only in rare exceptions to churches. Churches were nonetheless basilican in form, with an apse or tribunal at the end of a nave with two or more aisles typical. A narthex (sometimes with an exonarthex) or vestibule could be added to
30600-445: The early second century BC, politicians of the Roman Republic competed with one another by building basilicas bearing their names in the Forum Romanum , the centre of ancient Rome . Outside the city, basilicas symbolised the influence of Rome and became a ubiquitous fixture of Roman coloniae of the late Republic from c. 100 BC . The earliest surviving basilica is the basilica of Pompeii , built 120 BC. Basilicas were
30825-416: The east. The town's suburbs are Hampton , Greenhill and Studd Hill in the west, Eddington and Broomfield in the south, with Beltinge and Hillborough in the east. The drowned settlement of Hampton-on-Sea once existed beside what is now Hampton. The landscape of the town has been largely influenced by the Plenty Brook, which flows northward through the centre of the town and into the North Sea . It
31050-455: The end. An old theory by Ejnar Dyggve that these were the architectural intermediary between the Christian martyrium and the classical heröon is no longer credited. The magnificence of early Christian basilicas reflected the patronage of the emperor and recalled his imperial palaces and reflected the royal associations of the basilica with the Hellenistic Kingdoms and even earlier monarchies like that of Pharaonic Egypt . Similarly,
31275-416: The entrance to the car park and was commissioned by Canterbury City Council . During the Second World War , the coastline east of the village was used to test prototypes of Barnes Wallis 's bouncing bomb. This area was chosen for its seclusion, while the clear landmark of the church towers and the ease of recovering prototypes from the shallow water were probably also factors. Different, inert versions of
31500-417: The entrance, together with an atrium , and the interior might have transepts , a pastophorion , and galleries , but the basic scheme with clerestory windows and a wooden truss roof remained the most typical church type until the 6th century. The nave would be kept clear for liturgical processions by the clergy, with the laity in the galleries and aisles to either side. The function of Christian churches
31725-504: The eponymous promontory and the sea. The north wall has been lost to the sea, along with the adjoining part of the east wall and most of the west wall; the east wall is most complete and includes the remains of the eastern gateway and guard post. Parts of the surviving walls are all that remains of the fort above ground, and all have suffered from stone-robbing, especially near the south-western corner. The walls were originally faced with ragstone , but very little of this remains: otherwise only
31950-413: The flanking aisles, so that light could penetrate through the clerestory windows. In the late Republican era, basilicas were increasingly monumental; Julius Caesar replaced the Basilica Sempronia with his own Basilica Julia , dedicated in 46 BC, while the Basilica Aemilia was rebuilt around 54 BC in so spectacular a fashion that Pliny the Elder wrote that it was among the most beautiful buildings in
32175-455: The fort itself. At least 10 infant burials have been found within the fort, all of babies, of which six were associated with Roman buildings: five sets of infant remains were found within the foundations and walls of buildings, as were coins dating from 270 to 300 AD. It was suspected that more such burials might be found in the walls of a building in the south-western area of the fort if it were excavated further. A baby's feeding bottle
32400-401: The forum and often opposite a temple in imperial-era forums. Basilicas were also built in private residences and imperial palaces and were known as "palace basilicas". In late antiquity , church buildings were typically constructed either as martyria , or with a basilica's architectural plan. A number of monumental Christian basilicas were constructed during the latter reign of Constantine
32625-405: The grounds of the fort were haunted by the sound of a crying baby. Towards the end of the 3rd century a Roman naval commander named Carausius , who later declared himself emperor in Britain, was given the task of clearing pirates from the sea between Britain and the European mainland. In so doing he established a new chain of command, the British part of which was later to pass under the control of
32850-416: The highest daily temperature in the United Kingdom nine times. East Kent's average annual rainfall is about 728 mm (29 inches), the wettest months being October to January. This was lower than the national average annual rainfall of 838 mm (33 inches), and recent droughts have led to hosepipe bans by Mid Kent Water. The highest temperature recorded in Herne Bay was in August 2003 when
33075-407: The highest level for education or qualification. Christianity was the only religion represented, by 99 individuals, with 22 recorded as having no religion and 14 whose religion was not stated. From April 2001 to March 2002 the average gross weekly income of households in the electoral ward of Reculver was estimated by the Office for National Statistics as £560, or £29,120 per year; this
33300-418: The hill is washed away." By 1787 Reculver had "dwindled into an insignificant village, thinly decked with the cottages of fishermen and smugglers." [At about this time,] from the present shore as far as a place called the Black Rock, seen at lowwater mark, where tradition says, a parish church once stood, there [were] found quantities of tiles, bricks, fragments of walls, tesselated pavements, and other marks of
33525-418: The king's use, in return for concessions such as tax exemption. The last surviving record of Reculver as a limb of Sandwich dates from 1377, and its name is absent from Cinque Port records of 1432, probably because of "drastic coastal erosion, and the consequent silting up of the Wantsum Channel between Sarre and the North Mouth [adjacent to Reculver]." In 1220 King Henry III granted the archbishop of Canterbury
33750-411: The lands until Anglo-Saxon invasions shortly afterward. By the 7th century Reculver had become a landed estate of the Anglo-Saxon kings of Kent . The site of the Roman fort was given over for the establishment of a monastery dedicated to St Mary in 669 AD, and King Eadberht II of Kent was buried there in the 760s. During the Middle Ages Reculver was a thriving township with a weekly market and
33975-463: The last civic basilica built in Rome. Inside the basilica the central nave was accessed by five doors opening from an entrance hall on the eastern side and terminated in an apse at the western end. Another, shallower apse with niches for statues was added to the centre of the north wall in a second campaign of building, while the western apse housed a colossal acrolithic statue of the emperor Constantine enthroned. Fragments of this statue are now in
34200-401: The late Middle Ages . This led the Romans to build a small fort there at the time of their conquest of Britain in 43 AD, and, starting late in the 2nd century, they built a larger fort, or castrum , called Regulbium , which later became one of the chain of Saxon Shore forts. Following the withdrawal of the Western Roman Empire in ca. early C4th, the Brythons again took control of
34425-400: The late 12th century to a church founded in 669, when King Ecgberht of Kent granted land to Bassa the priest for the foundation of a monastery. The church was sited near the centre of the Roman fort, and was built "almost completely from demolished Roman structures". In 692 the monastery's abbot Berhtwald was elected archbishop of Canterbury, and King Eadberht II of Kent was buried inside
34650-568: The later basilica-forum complex at Treverorum was larger, while at Rome only the 525 foot (160 m) Basilica Ulpia exceeded London's in size. It probably had arcaded, rather than trabeate , aisles, and a double row of square offices on the northern side, serving as the administrative centre of the colonia , and its size and splendour probably indicate an imperial decision to change the administrative capital of Britannia to Londinium from Camulodunum ( Colchester ), as all provincial capitals were designated coloniae . In 300 Londinium's basilica
34875-413: The location is also important for migrating birds and is of significant geological interest. The earliest recorded form of the name, Regulbium , is in Latin and dates from the early 5th century or before, but it had its origin in a Common Brittonic word meaning "at the promontory" or "great headland". In Old English this became corrupted to Raculf , sometimes given as Raculfceastre , giving rise to
35100-416: The mainly illiterate Late Antique society. On the exterior, basilica church complexes included cemeteries, baptisteries, and fonts which "defined ritual and liturgical access to the sacred", elevated the social status of the Church hierarchy, and which complemented the development of a Christian historical landscape; Constantine and his mother Helena were patrons of basilicas in important Christian sites in
35325-510: The manorial and hundredal administration of a county, rather than to the ecclesiastical parishes in which they lay. The parishes of Herne and, on the Isle of Thanet, St Nicholas-at-Wade were created from parts of Reculver parish in 1310, although they continued to have a subordinate relationship with their original parish into the 19th century, while Hoath remained a perpetual curacy into the 20th. Thereafter Reculver's parish boundary, enclosing an area of about 2 square miles (5 km), remained
35550-424: The meeting room, for lack of urban space, was set above the arcades, however. Although their form was variable, basilicas often contained interior colonnades that divided the space, giving aisles or arcaded spaces on one or both sides, with an apse at one end (or less often at each end), where the magistrates sat, often on a slightly raised dais . The central aisle – the nave – tended to be wider and taller than
35775-413: The members of the northern half-hundred, or "Bleangate Upper", were listed as Herne, Reculver, Stourmouth and Hoath. The constable for the northern half-hundred was chosen at the court leet of the manor of Reculver, which by 1800 was usually held at Herne. The parish was represented by two tithings – known in Kent as "borghs" – in the Hundred Rolls of 1274–75 and, 400 years later, for
36000-405: The modern "Reculver". The form "Raculfceastre" includes the Old English place-name element " ceaster ", which frequently relates to "a [Roman] city or walled town". Stone Age flint tools have been washed out from the cliffs to the west of Reculver, and a Mesolithic tranchet axe was found near the centre of the Roman fort in 1960. This was probably an accidental loss, rather than suggesting
36225-423: The more chaotic environment of the temple precinct, with the temple's façade as backdrop. In basilicas constructed for Christian uses, the interior was often decorated with frescoes , but these buildings' wooden roof often decayed and failed to preserve the fragile frescoes within. Thus was lost an important part of the early history of Christian art , which would have sought to communicate early Christian ideas to
36450-472: The name and association resounded with the Christian claims of the royalty of Christ – according to the Acts of the Apostles the earliest Christians had gathered at the royal Stoa of Solomon in Jerusalem to assert Jesus's royal heritage. For early Christians, the Bible supplied evidence that the First Temple and Solomon's palace were both hypostyle halls and somewhat resembled basilicas. Hypostyle synagogues, often built with apses in Palestine by
36675-435: The nationally scarce hog's fennel and two species of digger wasp , Alysson lunicornis and Ectemnius ruficornis . The coastline here forms part of the "key on-land Palaeocene site in the London Basin", and is the only location in the Woolwich Beds to contain wood. The foreshore displays a "rich invertebrate and vertebrate fossil fauna ... and the section has been extensively studied over many years." The park first won
36900-587: The nave and the main building medium was opus africanum of local stone, and spolia was infrequently used. The Church of the East's Council of Seleucia-Ctesiphon was convened by the Sasanian Emperor Yazdegerd I at his capital at Ctesiphon ; according to Synodicon Orientale , the emperor ordered that the former churches in the Sasanian Empire to be restored and rebuilt, that such clerics and ascetics as had been imprisoned were to be released, and their Nestorian Christian communities allowed to circulate freely and practice openly. In eastern Syria ,
37125-535: The neighbouring area of Thanet. In 1274–75 the local hundred was much larger: it was then named after Bleangate, in a detached part of Chislet parish, and was divided into northern and southern halves; it also included part of Thanet. By 1540 Bleangate hundred no longer included land on Thanet, its members being listed then as Sturry , Chislet, Reculver and Herne for the archaic taxes known as "fifteenths and tenths", and in 1659 they were listed as Chislet, Herne, Hoath, Reculver, Stourmouth , Sturry and Westbere . In 1808
37350-450: The number of people at Reculver was estimated to increase to "over 1,000 at the height of the [summer] holiday season". In the 2001 census , conducted on 29 April, the relevant census area covered 2.79 square miles (7 km) and included only Reculver and outlying farms and houses, in which 135 people were found, almost a quarter of whom were in caravans. All were born in the United Kingdom except for three individuals from
37575-448: The oldest buildings in Herne Bay is the late 18th-century inn The Ship, which served as the focal point for the small shipping and farming community that first inhabited the town. During this time, passenger and cargo boats regularly ran between Herne Bay and London and boats carrying coal ran from Newcastle . From Herne, there was easy access by road to the city of Canterbury. The 1801 census recorded Herne Bay, including Herne, as having
37800-411: The open-air 'Theatre in the Park' on the grounds of Strode Park House in Herne. Between the 1960s and the 1990s The Herne Bay Operatic Society contributed to the town and its cultural life, performing regularly at The King's Hall and also at The Marlowe Theatre , Canterbury. As theatrical tastes changed the society morphed into The Herne Bay Musical Theatre Society. The town's only cinema, the Kavanagh,
38025-408: The outer sections and built largely of rubble masonry faced with brick, with a number of decorative panels in opus reticulatum . The basilica stood in a new forum and was accompanied by a programme of Severan works at Leptis including thermae , a new harbour, and a public fountain. At Volubilis , principal city of Mauretania Tingitana , a basilica modelled on Leptis Magna's was completed during
38250-417: The parish of Chislet. On 1 April 1934 the civil parish was abolished and merged with of Herne Bay. In 1931 the civil parish had a population of 829. Reculver is in an electoral ward of the same name that includes Beltinge, Bishopstone, Brook Farm, Boyden Gate , Chislet, Hillborough, Hoath and Maypole . The ward is in the local government district of Canterbury and has one seat on Canterbury City Council; in
38475-468: The period. Three examples of a basilica discoperta or " hypaethral basilica" with no roof above the nave are inferred to have existed. The 6th century Anonymous pilgrim of Piacenza described a "basilica built with a quadriporticus , with the middle atrium uncovered" at Hebron , while at Pécs and near Salona two ruined 5th buildings of debated interpretation might have been either roofless basilica churches or simply courtyards with an exedra at
38700-452: The pier and replacing it with other tourist attractions . As of the 2001 census, the industry of employment of residents of Herne Bay was 19% retail, 14% health and social work , 11% manufacturing, 10% construction, 9% real estate, 8% education, 8% transport and communications, 5% public administration , 5% hotels and restaurants, 4% finance, 1% agriculture and 5% other community, social or Personal Services . Compared to national figures,
38925-405: The pier and the seaward terminal as a counter-invasion measure. The pier's two gaps were bridged for pedestrians after the war. 1963 marked the end of steamboat services from the pier. In 1970, a fire destroyed the pier's pavilion and plans were made to replace it with a sports centre, which was opened in 1976 by former Prime Minister Edward Heath . The centre section of the pier was torn down by
39150-406: The pre-Constantinian period of Christianity, including the reception hall or aula (Ancient Greek: αὐλή , romanized: aulḗ , lit. 'courtyard') and the atria and triclinia of élite Roman dwellings. The versatility of the basilica form and its variability in size and ornament recommended itself to the early Christian Church : basilicas could be grandiose as
39375-597: The prototype of the triumphal arch at the east end of later Constantinian basilicas. Known as the Megiddo church , it was built at Kefar 'Othnay in Palestine , possibly c. 230, for or by the Roman army stationed at Legio (later Lajjun ). Its dedicatory inscriptions include the names of women who contributed to the building and were its major patrons, as well as men's names. A number of buildings previously believed to have been Constantinian or 4th century have been reassessed as dating to later periods, and certain examples of 4th century basilicas are not distributed throughout
39600-490: The purposes of the Hearth Tax , levied between 1662 and 1689. In 1274–75 they appear as Reculver borgh and Brookgate borgh; in 1663 they appear as Reculver Street borgh and Brookgate borgh, which were recorded under a parish heading for Reculver, together with Hoath borgh; and in 1673 Reculver borgh and Brookgate borgh were recorded under a heading for Herne parish, while Hoath was recorded under its own parish heading. However, borghs in Kent, and tithings generally, were related to
39825-409: The regeneration. A concern raised by the council is that the shopping centre is incoherent and fails to attract the tourists who come for the seafront. Other issues raised are the lack of holiday accommodation, car parks and clear pedestrian routes between the three main attractions in the town: the seafront, Memorial park and shopping centre. The council is considering relocating the sports centre from
40050-433: The relatively high land flanking both sides of the valley. The land to the east of the valley reaches a height of 25 metres (82 ft) above sea level and to the west reaches 10 metres (33 ft). Cliffs are formed where this high land meets the sea. The rising land beside the coast, between the valley and the eastern cliffs, is known as The Downs (no relation to the North or South Downs ). This area has been named
40275-438: The rest of this shyre [of Kent] in savorie saltnesse." An enclosed area of salt water known as the Dene was leased for the breeding of oysters and lobsters in 1867; as of 2014 there is a hatchery for oysters in saltwater ponds on the eastern side of Reculver belonging to a seafood company that is based there. In May 1914, Anglo-Westphalian Kent Coalfield Ltd drilled a borehole at Reculver in search of coal, since it had found
40500-413: The same for both ecclesiastical and civil purposes until 1934, and included the settlements of Hillborough, Bishopstone and Brook, now Brook Farm. The parish extended west almost to Beltinge , in Herne parish, and to Broomfield in the south-west, where the boundary with Herne parish ran along the centre of the main thoroughfare, now Margate Road; it was bounded in open country on the south-east and east by
40725-409: The sea. It has been estimated that the Roman fort was originally about 1 mile (1.6 km) from the sea to the north, but the cliffs are eroding at a rate of approximately 3.3 feet (1 m) per year. Coastal erosion had washed away most of Reculver village by 1800, leading residents to re-locate to Hillborough, within Reculver parish. A plan is in place to manage this erosion whereby some parts of
40950-415: The seafront, which is expected to continue with the proposed regeneration of the town centre. The elderly population of the town has led to many Health and Social Care jobs at local care homes and at the town's Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital. As of the 2001 census, 1.9% of the town's population resided in a medical or care establishment, compared with the national average of only 0.8%. The seafront has
41175-505: The short reign of Macrinus . The aisled-hall plan of the basilica was adopted by a number of religious cults in late antiquity . At Sardis , a monumental basilica housed the city's synagogue , serving the local Jewish diaspora . New religions like Christianity required space for congregational worship, and the basilica was adapted by the early Church for worship. Because they were able to hold large number of people, basilicas were adopted for Christian liturgical use after Constantine
41400-499: The site of existing early Christian cemeteries and martyria , related to the belief in Bodily Resurrection , and the cult of the sacred dead became monumentalised in basilica form. Traditional civic basilicas and bouleuteria declined in use with the weakening of the curial class (Latin: curiales ) in the 4th and 5th centuries, while their structures were well suited to the requirements of congregational liturgies. The conversion of these types of buildings into Christian basilicas
41625-605: The south-west, and in the west of the Isle of Thanet. By 1066 the monastery had become a parish church . However, in 1086 Reculver was named in the Domesday Book of 1086 as a hundred , and the manor was valued at £42.7s. (£42.35). Included in the Domesday account for the manor, as well as the church, farmland, a mill, salt pans and a fishery, are 90 villeins and 25 bordars : these numbers can be multiplied four or five times to account for dependents, as they only represent "adult male heads of households". At that time, although Domesday Book records that Reculver belonged to
41850-423: The south-west, indicates a Roman presence at Reculver from then onwards. A full-size fort, or castrum , was started late in the 2nd century. This date is derived in part from a reconstruction of a uniquely detailed plaque, fragments of which were found by archaeologists in the 1960s. The plaque effectively records the establishment of the fort, since it commemorates the construction of two of its principal features,
42075-484: The stone cross, and two stone columns that had been part of the church's triple chancel arch, are on display in Canterbury Cathedral . A byname for the towers is the "Twin Sisters", and an account of how this first arose was current about a hundred years after its supposed happening in the late 15th century, but in its usual form, for example in a 19th-century travel guide, it is mostly an invention created around "pseudo-historical detail". The Ingoldsby Legends includes
42300-426: The subsequent building of a railway station led to the rapid expansion of the town; between 1831 and 1841 the town's population grew from 1,876 to 3,041. The London businessmen intended to rename the town St Augustine's, but the name was unpopular with residents and the name "Herne Bay" remained. In 1833, an Act of Parliament established Herne Bay and Herne as separate towns. Local landowner Sir Henry Oxenden donated
42525-658: The temperature hit 36.5 °C (97.7 °F) during the 2003 European heatwave and the lowest temperature being in January 1940 with 8 °F (−13 °C) recorded during a notably cold winter that affected the UK. As of the 2001 UK census , Herne Bay area wards had a population of 35,188 and a population density of 11.3 persons per hectare. Of the town's 14,732 households, 48.7% were married couples living together, 8.4% were cohabiting couples and 8.3% were lone parents. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.5% had someone living alone at pensionable age. 27.7% of households included children aged under 16 or
42750-459: The theatre won a large grant from the Big Lottery Fund to renovate and extend their building and provide improved disabled access. The theatre also has an active youth theatre and between them, they put on at least eight productions every year including a pantomime . Theatrecraft, a local theatre group, produce three shows a year including an annual pantomime at the King's Hall theatre. Other groups and touring companies often put productions on at
42975-455: The time of the Pauline epistles . The arrival and reburial of the martyrs' uncorrupted remains in the basilica in time for the Easter celebrations was seen as powerful step towards divine approval. At Philippi , the market adjoining the 1st-century forum was demolished and replaced with a Christian basilica. Civic basilicas throughout Asia Minor became Christian places of worship; examples are known at Ephesus, Aspendos , and at Magnesia on
43200-487: The top. The brook has been prone to flooding during heavy rain, especially in inland areas, which regularly causes problems for people living in the Eddington area in southern Herne Bay. Stormy weather can cause the sea level by the coast to rise by up to two metres. In the past, this has caused disastrous flooding in the town; the worst in the town's history being in 1953. Coastal defences were subsequently constructed including groynes , sea walls and shingle beach . In
43425-437: The town centre, a travelling funfair at the Memorial Park and Herne Bay Bus Rally. Each summer, the council runs a gardening competition, "Herne Bay in Bloom", which encourages residents and businesses to keep the town looking well presented. The town is home to the Herne Bay Little Theatre, a playmakers drama society and member of the Little Theatre Guild of Great Britain who have a 72-seat theatre in Bullers Avenue. In 2007,
43650-438: The town had a relatively high number of workers in the construction and health/social care industries and a relatively low number in manufacturing and real estate. Many residents commute to work outside the town. As of the 2001 UK census, 14,711 of the town's residents were in employment, whereas there were only 8,104 jobs within the town. One of the largest employers is the centrally located supermarket, which as of January 2006
43875-401: The village has all but disappeared. The present appearance of the cliff below the church, a grassy slope above a large stone apron, was the work of central government and was in place by April 1867. In 2000 the surviving fragments of an early medieval cross that once stood inside the old church were used to design a Millennium Cross to commemorate two thousand years of Christianity. This stands at
44100-431: The village, a new Hoy and Anchor Inn was built by 1809, and this was renamed as the King Ethelbert Inn by 1838. Further construction work is indicated by a stone over the doorway to the inn bearing a date of 1843, and it was later extended into the form in which it stands today, "probably ... in 1883". Today the site of the church, including the upper part of the sea defences there, is managed by English Heritage , and
44325-502: The world (it was simultaneously renamed the Basilica Paulli ). Thereafter until the 4th century AD, monumental basilicas were routinely constructed at Rome by both private citizens and the emperors. These basilicas were reception halls and grand spaces in which élite persons could impress guests and visitors, and could be attached to a large country villa or an urban domus . They were simpler and smaller than were civic basilicas, and can be identified by inscriptions or their position in
44550-528: Was a type of beach boat unique to Herne Bay and nearby Thanet , known as the Thanet wherry , a narrow pulling boat about 18 feet (5 m) long. These boats were mainly used for fishing; however, with the advent of tourism and the decline of fishing, they became mainly used for pleasure trips. A document dated 1840 records the town as having the following schools, all of which are now defunct: Haddington (boarding school), Oxenden House, The British School, Prospect Place and Herne Street School. The village of Herne
44775-435: Was abandoned at the same time as the church, or a little later, and a replacement parish church was built at Hillborough, opening in 1813. After the sea undermined the foundations of the Hoy and Anchor Inn at Reculver in January 1808, the building was taken down and the redundant vicarage was used as a temporary replacement under the same name. Although it was reported in 1800 that there were then only five or six houses left in
45000-425: Was also found in an excavated floor within 10 feet (3 m) of one of the infant skeletons, though it may have been unconnected with the burials. The babies were probably buried in the buildings as ritual sacrifices , but it is unknown whether they were selected for burial because they were already dead, perhaps stillborn, or if they were buried alive or killed for the purpose. A local tale subsequently developed that
45225-425: Was also of symbolic significance, asserting the dominance of Christianity and supplanting the old political function of public space and the city-centre with an emphatic Christian social statement. Traditional monumental civic amenities like gymnasia , palaestrae , and thermae were also falling into disuse, and became favoured sites for the construction of new churches, including basilicas. Under Constantine,
45450-484: Was an innovation. Earlier basilicas had mostly had wooden roofs, but this basilica dispensed with timber trusses and used instead cross-vaults made from Roman bricks and concrete to create one of the ancient world's largest covered spaces: 80 m long, 25 m wide, and 35 m high. The vertices of the cross-vaults, the largest Roman examples, were 35 m. The vault was supported on marble monolithic columns 14.5 m tall. The foundations are as much as 8 m deep. The vault
45675-410: Was below the average for the south-east of England, excluding London, which was £660, or £34,320. In the 2011 census the relevant census area was identical to the electoral ward, an area of 3.55 square miles (9 km), and produced information for the area as a whole. Therefore, while the total resident population of the ward at the 2011 census numbered 8,845, detailed information comparable to that of
45900-409: Was built by the Silures at Caerwent and measured 180 by 100 feet (55 m × 30 m). When Londinium became a colonia , the whole city was re-planned and a new great forum-basilica complex erected, larger than any in Britain. Londinium's basilica, more than 500 feet (150 m) long, was the largest north of the Alps and a similar length to the modern St Paul's Cathedral . Only
46125-530: Was considering further expansion. It is one of the major attractions to the town's shopping centre, however there are fears that its expansion could lead it to become too dominant, at the cost of smaller shops in the town. Apart from tourism and retail, many jobs are also provided in the manufacturing industry , mainly located in industrial estates on the outskirts of the town, which produce goods such as kitchen furniture and factory machinery. A high number of construction jobs have been created by redevelopment of
46350-572: Was converted into a dual carriageway and redirected to avoid passing through urban areas of Herne Bay and Whitstable. Herne Bay's secondary school is the modern Herne Bay High . It is a mixed ability foundation school with about 1,500 students. In 2002, Herne Bay High was designated a specialist school and Sports College . In 2005, 14% of the school's pupils gained at least five GCSEs at grades A*–C including English and maths, ranking it 107th out of Kent's 120 secondary schools. Many students commute to schools in other nearby towns, especially to
46575-419: Was destroyed as a result of the rebellion led by the Augustus of the break-away Britannic Empire , Carausius . Remains of the great basilica and its arches were discovered during the construction of Leadenhall Market in the 1880s. At Corinth in the 1st century AD, a new basilica was constructed in on the east side of the forum. It was possibly inside the basilica that Paul the Apostle , according to
46800-411: Was endowed with its first forum and basilica under the Flavian dynasty . The basilica delimited the northern edge of the forum with typical nave, aisles, and a tribunal, but with an atypical semi-basement at the western side. Unlike in Gaul , basilica-forum complexes in Roman Britain did not usually include a temple; instead a shrine was usually inside the basilica itself. At Londinium however, there
47025-414: Was held in the basilica, which must have been large enough to accommodate the more than two hundred bishops that attended its third session, together with their translators and servants; around 350 bishops attended the Council in all. In an ekphrasis in his eleventh sermon , Asterius of Amasea described an icon in the church depicting Euphemia's martyrdom. The church was restored under the patronage of
47250-428: Was often called Herne Street around this time. The same document also mentions the still-existing Rodney Head, The Ship and Upper Red Lion inns. In 1912, the first "Brides in the Bath" murder by George Joseph Smith was committed in Herne Bay. BBC scriptwriter Anthony Coburn, who lived in the resort, was one of the people who conceived the idea of a police box as a time machine for Doctor Who . During World War II,
47475-422: Was passed to the kings of Wessex , by the agreement of Archbishop Ceolnoth in exchange for protection from Viking attacks. By the 10th century the monastery at Reculver and its estate were both royal property: they were given back to the archbishops of Canterbury in 949 by King Eadred of England, at which time the estate included Hoath and Herne , and land at Chilmington , about 23.5 miles (37.8 km) to
47700-455: Was plain and utilitarian, but inside was very grandly decorated. In the reign of Constantine I, a basilica was constructed for the Pope in the former barracks of the Equites singulares Augusti , the cavalry arm of the Praetorian Guard . (Constantine had disbanded the Praetorian guard after his defeat of their emperor Maxentius and replaced them with another bodyguard, the Scholae Palatinae .) In 313 Constantine began construction of
47925-401: Was probably near to the fort's southern or eastern side. The walls of the fort originally stood about 14.8 feet (4.5 m) high and were 10 feet (3 m) thick at their base, reducing to 8 feet (2.4 m) at the top; they were reinforced internally by an earthen bank. The entrance to the fort's headquarters building faced north, indicating that the main gate was on the north side, facing
48150-458: Was probably no temple at all attached to the original basilica, but instead a contemporary temple was constructed nearby. Later, in 79 AD, an inscription commemorated the completion of the 385 by 120 foot (117 m × 37 m) basilica at Verulamium ( St Albans ) under the governor Gnaeus Julius Agricola ; by contrast the first basilica at Londinium was only 148 by 75 feet (45 m × 23 m). The smallest known basilica in Britain
48375-466: Was recorded as 77.3% Christian, 0.3% Muslim, 0.2% Hindu, 0.2% Buddhist, 0.1% Jewish and 0.1% Sikh. 14.2% were recorded as having no religion, 0.3% had an alternative religion and 7.4% did not state their religion. For every 100 females, there were 89.9 males. The age distribution was 6% aged 0–4 years, 14% aged 5–15 years, 4% aged 16–19 years, 29% aged 20–44 years, 25% aged 45–64 years and 22% aged 65 years and over. The town had
48600-428: Was reported that the commissioners had adopted a scheme proposed by Sir Thomas Page to protect the church: the sea defences had proven counter-productive, since sea water collected behind them and continued to undermine the cliff. Before this, according to John Duncombe, "the commissioners of sewers, and the occupiers who pay scots, [had] no view nor interest but to secure the level [ground], which must be overflowed when
48825-426: Was roughly in line with the national figures, except for the number of people in retirement. This figure nationally was significantly lower at 14%. Of the town's residents aged 16–74, 12% had a higher education qualification or the equivalent, compared with 20% nationwide. According to Office for National Statistics estimates, during the period of April 2001 to March 2002 the average gross weekly income of households in
49050-470: Was separated from the Temple of Trajan , the Ulpian Library , and his famous Column depicting the Dacian Wars by the Basilica. It was an especially grand example whose particular symmetrical arrangement with an apse at both ends was repeated in the provinces as a characteristic form. To improve the quality of the Roman concrete used in the Basilica Ulpia, volcanic scoria from the Bay of Naples and Mount Vesuvius were imported which, though heavier,
49275-503: Was similar to that of the civic basilicas but very different from temples in contemporary Graeco-Roman polytheism : while pagan temples were entered mainly by priests and thus had their splendour visible from without, within Christian basilicas the main ornamentation was visible to the congregants admitted inside. Christian priests did not interact with attendees during the rituals which took place at determined intervals, whereas pagan priests were required to perform individuals' sacrifices in
49500-476: Was so well known as to be taken for granted [in the Middle Ages], the whole waterway from London to Sandwich being occasionally spoken of as the 'Thames'". But silting and inning had closed the channel to trading vessels sailing along it by about 1460 or soon after, and the first bridge was built over it at Sarre in 1485, since ferries could no longer operate reliably across it. Reculver was also diminished by coastal erosion . By 1540, when John Leland recorded
49725-475: Was stronger than the pumice available closer to Rome. The Bailica Ulpia is probably an early example of tie bars to restrain the lateral thrust of the barrel vault resting on a colonnade; both tie-bars and scoria were used in contemporary work at the Baths of Trajan and later the Hadrianic domed vault of the Pantheon . In early 123, the augusta and widow of the emperor Trajan, Pompeia Plotina died. Hadrian , successor to Trajan, deified her and had
49950-414: Was subsumed beneath the 5th century basilica of Hagios Demetrios , forming a crypt. The largest and oldest basilica churches in Egypt were at Pbow , a coenobitic monastery established by Pachomius the Great in 330. The 4th century basilica was replaced by a large 5th century building (36 × 72 m) with five aisles and internal colonnades of pink granite columns and paved with limestone. This monastery
50175-456: Was supported by brick latticework ribs (Latin: bipedalis ) forming lattice ribbing, an early form of rib vault , and distributing the load evenly across the vault's span. Similar brick ribs were employed at the Baths of Maxentius on the Palatine Hill , where they supported walls on top of the vault. Also known as the Basilica Constantiniana , 'Basilica of Constantine' or Basilica Nova , 'New Basilica', it chanced to be
50400-533: Was the administrative centre of the Pachomian order where the monks would gather twice annually and whose library may have produced many surviving manuscripts of biblical, Gnostic, and other texts in Greek and Coptic . In North Africa , late antique basilicas were often built on a doubled plan. In the 5th century, basilicas with two apses, multiple aisles, and doubled churches were common, including examples respectively at Sufetula , Tipasa , and Djémila . Generally, North African basilica churches' altars were in
50625-481: Was used for domestic purposes, was a commercial space, a military structure, or religious building. The plays of Plautus suggest that basilica buildings may have existed prior to Cato's building. The plays were composed between 210 and 184 BC and refer to a building that might be identified with the Atrium Regium . Another early example is the basilica at Pompeii (late 2nd century BC). Inspiration may have come from prototypes like Athens 's Stoa Basileios or
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