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Reculver Towers and Roman Fort

Reculver Towers and Roman Fort

Reculver Road, Herne Bay, Kent, CT6 6SU, South East England

Best time to visit

Reculver Towers and Roman Fort is one of Kent’s most iconic coastal landmarks, combining dramatic history with stunning sea views. Located on the north Kent coast, the site offers wide, open horizons and relatively dark skies compared to many nearby urban areas, making it an excellent location for stargazing. With unobstructed views across the sea and countryside, visitors can enjoy observing the Moon, planets, meteor showers, and the wonders of the night sky against the backdrop of the historic twin towers.

Reculver Towers and Roman Fort is a Go Stargazing Site. The location has been identified by the Go Stargazing team as a good location for stargazing based on local light pollution levels, distance from nearby towns and cities and offers a safe place to park.

Location events organiser

English Heritage

English Heritage organises events at this location

Please contact English Heritage directly with any enquiries relating to visiting this location

Email: [email protected]
Website: English Heritage
Twitter: @EnglishHeritage

Weather forecast

  • 26/06/26

    32° 2%

  • 26/06/26

    32° 1%

  • 26/06/26

    30° 0%

  • 27/06/26

    25° 0%

Weather forecast for Margate (8.2 miles away) updated 25/06/26 at 12:01. Powered by Met Office data.

Local light pollution

Reculver Towers and Roman Fort is estimated to have light pollution levels similar to a semi-rural location based on the latest data from the VIIRS satellite. For more advanced light pollution data, view this location on DarkSkySites.

The above demonstrates the estimated effect of light pollution - graphics created using Stellarium.

Light pollution map of Reculver Towers and Roman Fort

Best time to visit

The Moon has a big impact on the visibility of celestial bodies in the night sky. Try to plan your stargazing when there is no bright Moon at night as this is when the skies will be at their darkest.

The below chart shows when the skies will be at their darkest at this location and therefore the best time to visit. Moonlight is shown in light yellow and the Sun's twilight in light blue. Midnight on the date shown is shown as a white line with sunset to the left and sunrise the next morning to the right. A black background with stars shows the best times for stargazing. See our dark sky calendar for more details.

Moon phase on Fri 26th Jun

Fri 26th Jun

Waxing Gibbous
86 % illuminated
Dark from 01:05 to 01:40
Dark for 0h 35m
Moon phase on Sat 27th Jun

Sat 27th Jun

Waxing Gibbous
92 % illuminated
Dark from 01:40 to 01:41
Dark for 0h 1m
Moon phase on Sun 28th Jun

Sun 28th Jun

Full Moon
96 % illuminated
NO DARKNESS
Moon phase on Mon 29th Jun

Mon 29th Jun

Full Moon
99 % illuminated
NO DARKNESS
Moon phase on Tue 30th Jun

Tue 30th Jun

Full Moon
100 % illuminated
NO DARKNESS
Moon phase on Wed 1st Jul

Wed 1st Jul

Full Moon
99 % illuminated
NO DARKNESS
Moon phase on Thu 2nd Jul

Thu 2nd Jul

Full Moon
96 % illuminated
NO DARKNESS

Find more dates

If you are planning to visit this location check our dark sky calendar to find out when is best!

Calendar

Forthcoming events

Below is a list of events at Reculver Towers and Roman Fort. View these events on our calendar, add them to your calendar or Google Calendar.

  • Free partial eclipse viewing at Reculver Towers

    Wednesday 12th August 2026 from 18:00pm to 20:30pm

    Reculver Towers and Roman Fort, Herne Bay, CT6 6SU

    More info

Stay and gaze nearby

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