Reculver
Region: Kent
Nearest Town: Reculver
Geological Age: Thanetian • Paleocene • Palaeogene • Cenozoic
Site Type: Foreshore • Cliff
About the Site
Reculver forms the eastern end of the classic coastal geological section running westwards towards Bishopstone, Beltinge and Herne Bay. The low cliffs and foreshore here expose rocks of the Thanet Formation, deposited in the sea during the late Paleocene around 57–58 million years ago.
The locality is particularly important for the Reculver Sand Member, a fossiliferous part of the Thanet Formation named after this area. Shell-bearing sands and harder sandstone layers can be exposed in the cliffs and across the foreshore, especially at low tide.
Reculver is therefore quite different from the better-known Beltinge Fish Bed farther west. Fossils collected here should not automatically be treated as Beltinge or Upnor Formation material simply because the two localities form part of the same wider coastal section.
Alongside its geology, Reculver is also an important historic and wildlife site, dominated by the landmark Reculver Towers and the remains of the Roman fort.
Geology & Stratigraphy
The principal bedrock at the LBPS Reculver locality is the Thanet Formation, part of the Montrose Group. The fossil-bearing interval of greatest relevance here is the Reculver Sand Member, formerly known as the Reculver Silts.
The Reculver Sand Member is Thanetian in age and is currently dated to the middle Thanetian, within calcareous nannoplankton Zone NP8. It consists mainly of fine-grained sands, silty sands and sandy silts. Some beds are cross-bedded, others are heavily disturbed by burrowing organisms, and glauconite is present in parts of the succession. Shells occur scattered through the sediment and in more concentrated shelly layers.
Harder calcareous sandstone horizons also occur within the Thanet succession. Historically these resistant layers were described as tabular bands or “doggers” and can weather out onto the foreshore as large blocks. Older geological accounts describe fossil-rich shell beds beneath and between these harder layers.
The Thanet Formation was divided into a number of locally recognisable fossil beds by earlier workers, and names such as the Reculver Tabular Band appear in the historical literature. These bed names remain useful when interpreting old collections and publications, but LBPS uses the modern BGS lithostratigraphic framework — Thanet Formation → Reculver Sand Member — as the primary geological classification.
The Reculver Sand Member is overlain elsewhere in the coastal succession by the Upnor Formation. Moving west towards Bishopstone, progressively younger strata enter the section. For LBPS recording purposes those younger beds are dealt with under Herne Bay (Beltinge / Bishopstone) rather than automatically assigning them to Reculver.
Palaeoenvironment & Palaeoecology
The Thanet Formation records a marine environment that covered south-east England during the late Paleocene.
The sediments at Reculver were deposited on a relatively shallow marine shelf. Fine sand and silt accumulated on the sea floor while currents and waves redistributed sediment. Cross-bedding records moving sediment, while burrows within some layers show that animals were actively living within the seabed.
Shell beds and shelly lenses represent concentrations of marine organisms and their remains. Changes in sediment type through the succession reflect variations in water depth, current strength and sediment supply as the Paleocene sea changed through time.
The Thanet Formation as a whole is interpreted as an inner- to outer-shelf marine deposit above normal fair-weather wave base.
Fossil Preservation & Taphonomy
Fossils at Reculver are particularly associated with the shell-bearing sands of the Thanet Formation.
Molluscs may occur as original shell material, internal moulds, external impressions or casts. Preservation varies considerably: some specimens can retain useful shell detail, while others are fragile, worn or represented only by moulds within the sediment.
Hard calcareous sandstone layers and loose blocks can also contain fossil moulds and shell material. These resistant blocks may survive on the foreshore after the softer sediment around them has been removed by erosion.
Wave action can move loose fossils and blocks away from their original position. A specimen found loose on the beach should therefore be recorded as a foreshore find unless its source bed can be confidently identified.
Older accounts describe some Thanet shell horizons at Reculver as extremely fossiliferous, although the number of species present may be much smaller than the sheer quantity of shells initially suggests.
Collecting Guidance
Low tide provides the best opportunity to examine the fossil-bearing Thanet Formation on the foreshore.
A falling tide is preferable because it gives more time to search exposed areas before the sea returns. Lower spring tides may expose parts of the foreshore and shell-bearing beds that are covered at other times.
Older geological accounts specifically record fossiliferous Thanet beds exposed on the shore at low water.
Calm, settled conditions are preferable. Avoid working beneath recently eroded or waterlogged cliffs even if fresh material has been exposed.
Stout waterproof footwear and clothing suitable for exposed coastal conditions are recommended.
Useful collecting equipment includes:
hand lens;
small specimen boxes or bags;
labels for recording precise find locations;
gloves;
fully charged phone.
Because many shell fossils can be fragile, small boxes and tissue or other protective packing can be more useful than heavy collecting equipment.
A geological hammer is not normally required for routine collecting and should not be used on the standing cliff.
What to Look For
The most characteristic fossils at Reculver are associated with the marine shell-bearing sands of the Thanet Formation.
Look for shell material exposed naturally in the foreshore and within loose blocks weathered from the cliffs. Bivalves can occur in considerable numbers in some horizons, together with gastropods and other marine fossils.
Some fossils occur as obvious shells, while others may be preserved only as a mould or impression. Large tabular blocks of harder sandstone can also contain casts and traces of fossils.
Pay attention to the sediment surrounding a fossil. A specimen found directly within a recognisable shell bed is much more useful scientifically than an identical fossil found loose amongst beach material.
The Thanet Formation also contains important microscopic fossils that have been used to date and correlate the succession, although these are not normally visible during ordinary foreshore collecting.
Our forthcoming Reculver species audit will populate the Fossils at this Site explorer with the securely documented species rather than putting an unverified species list into this general guide.
Fossils at this Site
Explore fossils recorded from this site, see how to recognise them and, where enough LBPS records exist, what collectors are actually finding.
What collectors are finding
Typical examples from this site
Different anatomical parts or preservation styles can look very different. Choose an example to view it larger.
About this information
Fossil occurrences come from reviewed LBPS records. Encounter frequency and abundance use eligible collecting sessions where all finds were recorded. Preservation rarity uses the condition recorded at the time of collecting. Identification photographs may come from dedicated Fossil Examples or linked public LBPS Specimens; neither influences rarity or frequency calculations.
Visitor & Access Information
General Location
On the north Kent coast at Reculver, approximately 3 km east of Herne Bay.
The LBPS locality is centred on the Reculver end of the coastal section, including the accessible foreshore and Thanet Formation exposures around and west of Reculver Country Park.
The coast continuing westwards towards Bishopstone and Beltinge is treated separately by LBPS as Herne Bay (Beltinge / Bishopstone).
Directions
Approach Reculver via Reculver Lane, following signs for Reculver Country Park and Reculver Towers.
From the visitor area, the coastline can be reached on foot using the established paths around the country park and Towers.
For fossil collecting, use recognised access onto the foreshore rather than attempting to descend unsupported cliff sections.
Reculver Lane is the principal road access into the Reculver area.
Parking
There is a charged public car park beside Reculver Towers / Reculver Country Park.
From the car park it is a short walk to the coast, although reaching particular foreshore exposures may require walking along the beach or coastal path.
Parking arrangements and charges can change, so visitors should check local signs on arrival. English Heritage confirms that the public car park is adjacent to the historic site but is operated separately.
Terrain
The country park itself has established paths, but fossil collecting involves natural coastal terrain.
Expect shingle, sand, mud, wet foreshore, loose blocks and uneven surfaces. Some geological exposures lie close to actively eroding cliffs.
The coastline immediately around Reculver Towers is heavily defended, while the cliffs farther west are deliberately allowed to erode naturally.
Access, Permissions & Responsible Collecting
Reculver Country Park and the coastal paths are publicly accessible.
Use established paths and recognised routes onto the foreshore. Do not climb or cut into the cliffs, create new access routes or undermine exposed sections.
Collect from loose, naturally weathered material wherever possible. Small amounts of loose sediment may be examined where appropriate, but substantial excavation or removal of material from protected geological exposures should not be undertaken without the necessary permissions.
Keep fossil collecting completely separate from the archaeological site around Reculver Towers and Roman Fort. The fort, monastery and church remains form a legally protected Scheduled Monument, and archaeological material must not be disturbed or removed.
Safety & Legal Information
Safety Information
Reculver is a tidal coastal locality with areas of actively eroding cliff.
Check tide times before entering the foreshore and remain aware of the incoming tide throughout the visit.
Keep away from the base and edge of unsupported cliffs. Coastal management policy for the Bishopstone–Reculver cliffs deliberately allows natural erosion to continue, and ground instability remains an acknowledged risk.
Wet sand, mud, algae, shingle and loose blocks can be slippery or unstable.
Take particular care around sea defences near Reculver Towers, where surfaces may be uneven and slippery. English Heritage also identifies steep slopes, uneven surfaces and deep water amongst the hazards around the historic site.
Avoid collecting during storms, rough seas or severe weather and follow any temporary access restrictions or safety notices.
SSSI / Legal Restrictions
Reculver lies within an environmentally sensitive and protected stretch of the north Kent coast.
The cliffs and intertidal foreshore form part of the Thanet Coast Site of Special Scientific Interest, with wider coastal areas also protected for internationally important birds and habitats through SPA and Ramsar designations. The geology itself is one of the reasons this coastline is scientifically important.
Collect responsibly from loose, naturally eroded material and do not damage protected cliff exposures, vegetation or wildlife habitats.
Avoid disturbing feeding, roosting or nesting birds and respect any seasonal restrictions.
The area around Reculver Towers and Roman Fort is also a Scheduled Monument. Fossil collecting must not involve digging into, damaging or removing anything from the archaeological remains or protected ground associated with the monument.
Site Status & References
References
- The Lower London Tertiary (Palaeocene) succession of Herne Bay, Kent
- The distribution of sharks, rays and chimaeroids in the English Palaeogene
- Fossil Fishes of Great Britain
- The stratigraphical framework for the Palaeogene successions of the London Basin, UK
- BGS Lexicon of Named Rock Units: Reculver Sand Member
- On the Lower Eocene section between Reculvers and Herne Bay, and on some modifications in the classification of the Lower London Tertiaries
- Geology of the country around Faversham: Memoir for 1:50,000 geological sheet 273