Abandonment of St Mary's Defense

Date: January 12, 1808 • Location: Herne Bay, United Kingdom

John Rennie's scheme to defend St Mary's Church (pictured) in Reculver from coastal erosion was abandoned in favour of demolition, despite the church being an exemplar of Anglo-Saxon architecture.

John Rennie was a Scottish civil engineer who designed bridges, canals, docks and warehouses. He pioneered the use of structural cast-iron.