View source for New Romney

{{short description |Town in Kent, England}}
{{For|the former parliamentary borough|New Romney (UK Parliament constituency)}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2016}}
{{Infobox UK place 
|country =                 England
|static_image_name    = New Romney Church Tower - New Romney - Kent - June 2007.jpg
|static_image_width   = 150  
|static_image_caption = [[St Nicholas Church, New Romney|The New Romney Church tower]] in 2007
|static_image_2_name = Coat of arms of New Romney, England.svg
|static_image_2_width   = 80
|static_image_2_caption=Arms of New Romney
|official_name=          New Romney
|coordinates = {{coord|50.985|0.941|display=inline,title}}
| population =6996
| population_ref = (2011)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11126878&c=New+Romney&d=16&e=62&g=6438462&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1444051253950&enc=1|title=Town population 2011|access-date=5 October 2015|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304111802/http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11126878&c=New+Romney&d=16&e=62&g=6438462&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1444051253950&enc=1|url-status=dead}}</ref>
 |civil_parish=         New Romney
|shire_district=       [[Folkestone and Hythe (District)|Folkestone and Hythe]]
|shire_county=         [[Kent]]
|region=                  South East England
|constituency_westminster=   [[Folkestone and Hythe (UK Parliament constituency)|Folkestone and Hythe]]
|post_town=     NEW ROMNEY
|postcode_area=       TN 
|postcode_district=TN28
|dial_code=   01797
|os_grid_reference=  TR066249
}}

'''New Romney''' is a market town in [[Kent]], England, on the edge of [[Romney Marsh]], an area of flat, rich agricultural land reclaimed from the sea after the harbour began to silt up.  New Romney, one of the original [[Cinque Ports]], was once a sea port, with the harbour adjacent to the church, but is now more than a mile from the sea. It is the headquarters of the [[Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway]].

==Geography==
New Romney is not significantly different in age from the nearby village of [[Old Romney]]. However New Romney, now about a mile and a half from the seafront, was originally a [[Harbor|harbour]] town at the mouth of the [[River Rother (Eastern)|River Rother]]. The Rother [[estuary]] was always difficult to navigate, with many shallow channels and sandbanks. The names of two local settlements, Greatstone and Littlestone, are a reminder of these aids. Another possible explanation for these place-names is a result of the effects of [[longshore drift]], which disperses shingle and sand deposits, from west to east, with heavier stones accumulating in the area known as Greatstone, while far smaller shingle is to be found in great quantities at Littlestone. Very fine sand is found further east at neighbouring St Mary's Bay.

==History==
[[File:New Romney Town Hall (geograph-2741680) (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|left|[[New Romney Town Hall]]]]
In the latter part of the thirteenth century a series of severe storms weakened the coastal defences of Romney Marsh, and the [[South England flood of February 1287]] almost destroyed the town, as it did destroy the nearby ancient parish of Broomhill. The harbour and town were filled with sand, silt, mud and debris, and the River Rother changed course to run out into the sea near [[Rye, East Sussex|Rye]], Sussex. The mud, silt and sand were never entirely removed from the town, which is why many old buildings, especially the church, have steps leading down into them from the present pavement level.

New Romney is one of the original [[Cinque Ports]] of England, although its importance declined rapidly during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries after the loss of the harbour. [[Archaeological]] investigations in 2007 during replacement of the town's main drainage have cast new light on the medieval origins and development of the town.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Canterbury Archaeological Trust|title=New Romney Unearthed|url=http://www.canterburytrust.co.uk/newrom01.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509082241/http://www.canterburytrust.co.uk/newrom01.html |archivedate=9 May 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Kent Sites|url=http://www.canterburytrust.co.uk/old-site/annreps/pdfs/2005/003.pdf|publisher=Canterbury Archaeological Trust}}{{deadlink|date=March 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Post Excavation and Research|url=http://www.canterburytrust.co.uk/old-site/annreps/pdfs/2005/005.pdf|publisher=Canterbury Archaeological Trust}}{{deadlink|date=March 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes|work=Canterbury's Archaeology|volume=29|year=2004-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|first1=Gillian|last1=Draper|first2=Frank|last2=Meddens|title=The Sea and the Marsh: The Medieval Cinque Port of New Romney Revealed through Archaeological Excavations and Historical Research|publisher=Pre-Construct Archaeology |date=2009|isbn=978-0954293895|url=http://www.pre-construct.com/Publications/Romney.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130801212027/http://www.pre-construct.com/Publications/Romney.htm |archivedate=1 August 2013 }}</ref> [[New Romney Town Hall]] was built in 1702.<ref>{{NHLE|desc=Town Hall|num=1068989|access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref>

During [[World War II]] a fleet of floating concrete harbour sections (called [[Mulberry Harbour]]s) were towed across the [[English Channel]] to France to aid the Allied landings. One of these harbour pieces remains, embedded in a sandbank just off the coast by [[Littlestone-on-Sea]], and is clearly visible at low tide. Further up the coast during the [[Operation Pluto|Pipe Line Under The Ocean]], or PLUTO, oil was pumped to France under the English Channel for use by allied troops.

New Romney is the main centre of population on the Romney Marsh. Founded in 1610 by John Southland and formerly known locally as just "Southland's", John Southland's Community Comprehensive School, the only secondary school in the area, was renamed [[The Marsh Academy]] in August 2007.

==Town centre==
Like many towns on the marsh it has an impressive [[Norman architecture|Norman]] church, [[St Nicholas Church, New Romney|the Church of St Nicholas]], in the centre of town. This church originally stood at the harbourside, and its entrances are several feet below ground level. The church is also notable for the boat hooks still evident on the side walls.

New Romney's historic high street has several small and interesting shops. A few businesses closed after the opening of a branch of supermarket chain [[Sainsbury's]], but the town retains much of its character. The former [[almshouses]] in West Street are noted historic buildings of Kent; they were founded in 1610 by John Southland, an important local magnate, and rebuilt in 1734. Adjacent to these is Plantagenet House and No 3 Old Stone Cottage, which originated as a single house constructed c. 1300&ndash;1350.<ref>''Archaeology South East'', UCL, report by David Martin, 2004</ref> Researchers think it was originally the home of the Master of The Hospital of St John the Baptist, a large secular establishment. The hospital was operating by c. 1260 and flourished until the close of the fifteenth century.<ref>''Victoria History'' and a report by Dr Gillian Draper in the possession of the writer</ref>

Three-quarters of a mile north of the town is the links golf course at Littlestone-on-Sea. The golf course was a favourite of [[Denis Thatcher]], late husband of former British prime minister [[Margaret Thatcher]], and has been used several times for the qualifying rounds of [[The Open Championship]].

==Transport==
The [[Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway]] has a station at the extreme east of New Romney, which as well as being a major tourist attraction was also used by students travelling to school until 2015. The station is about three-quarters of a mile east of the historic town centre.

New Romney was once serviced by the New Romney and Littlestone-On-Sea railway station which was part of the [[Lydd Railway|Lydd]] Line. The station was sited halfway between New Romney and [[Littlestone-on-Sea]]. As built the station had two platforms and a small goods yard with four sidings, a goods shed, cattle dock, coal wharves, end loading dock, water tower and other small buildings. The up platform was rarely used in latter years other than as a livestock loading dock. The station was originally called New Romney & Littlestone with on-Sea being added in October 1888. In 1927 a single line extension was built with an unprotected level crossing to an exchange siding with the adjacent Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway station on the opposite side of the Station Road; it was used to deliver coal to that railway. The signal box was taken out of use in the 1950s and goods service was withdrawn in 1964. The station was closed in 1967 and replaced with a bus service.

New Romney is easily accessible by road, sitting astride the [[A259 road|A259]] (which runs from [[Folkestone]] to [[Havant]]). Several bus services run to and through New Romney from [[Hastings]], Folkestone and [[Ashford, Kent|Ashford]]. The former B2070 road from the town to [[Hamstreet]] and [[Ashford, Kent|Ashford]] is now declassified while the B2071 still exists to [[Littlestone]].

==Media==
New Romney has one dedicated weekly newspaper, the ''[[Kentish Express]]'' (published by the [[KM Group]]) is the only weekly newspaper for the Romney Marsh covering the town. There is also the ''Folkestone Herald'' (which incorporated the ''Romney Marsh Herald'' in 2014, published by Kent Regional News and Media). The local radio station for New Romney is [[KMFM Ashford]] which contains Marsh-based adverts amongst a county-wide station, and New Romney is also served by the county-wide stations [[Heart South]], [[Gold (British radio network)|Gold]] and [[BBC Radio Kent]].  

Cinque Ports Radio 100.2FM is the community radio station for Romney Marsh and has been broadcasting since 7 March 2022 replacing Shoreline FM which now broadcasts online to the same area as Shoreline Easy and previously broadcast on 100.2FM since January 2020 <ref>{{cite web|url=https://static.ofcom.org.uk/static/radiolicensing/html/radio-stations/community/cr103150ba1shorelinefm.htm|publisher=Ofcom|title=Shoreline FM|date=10 March 2022}}</ref>

In 1951 the [[Richard Burton]], [[Roger Livesey]], and [[Honor Blackman]] film ''[[Green Grow the Rushes (film)|Green Grow the Rushes]]'' was made on location in and around New Romney and in nearby [[St Mary in the Marsh]].

==Namesakes==
In 1762 [[Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron]] named the town of [[Romney, West Virginia|Romney]] in present-day [[West Virginia]] in the United States after the town of New Romney.

==Arms==
{{Infobox COA wide
|image = Coat of arms of New Romney, England.svg
|escutcheon = Azure three Lions passant guardant in pale Or
|notes = Recorded at the Visitation of 1619, for the Borough of New Romney<ref>{{cite web |url=http://civicheraldry.co.uk/south_east.html |title=Civic Heraldry of England |publisher=Robert Young |access-date=12 March 2019 |archive-date=22 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122215252/http://civicheraldry.co.uk/south_east.html |url-status=live }}</ref>}}

==See also==
*[[Henry Sydney, 1st Earl of Romney]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category-inline}}

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{{Kent}}
{{5 Ports}}

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[[Category:Civil parishes in Kent]]
[[Category:Towns in Kent]]
[[Category:Market towns in Kent]]
[[Category:Cinque ports]]