New Romney combines medieval architectural history and notable landmarks in the town’s history with contemporary art and nature. Church of St Nicholas, the New Romney Art Trail and Romney Warren Country Park represent different areas of interest. For your stay, you can choose between architecture and history, art and railways, or nature and heritage.
Medieval architectural history and town history
Church of St Nicholas is the only surviving one of the five medieval religious buildings that stood in New Romney. The three lower stages of the tower and four bays of the nave date from around 1160–1170. A bay is a section of the nave; the dating therefore refers to specific named architectural elements, not to the building as a whole. The four bays relate to the division of the nave, while the tower stages belong to another part of the church.
The town’s history can also be viewed through different events. New Romney was included in the Charter of the Cinque Ports and Confederate Towns granted by Edward I in 1278. Severe storms in the 13th century caused New Romney to lose its harbour. The charter marks an act of inclusion, while the loss of the harbour marks a change in the town’s history. Together with the church elements dated to around 1160–1170, these events provide a perspective spanning the 12th and 13th centuries.
Art, railways and orientation
The New Romney Art Trail leads to contemporary murals at New Romney station and on the High Street. They depict occupations, people and local scenes. Compared with Church of St Nicholas, the focus shifts from medieval architectural elements to subjects drawn from local life. The two cultural highlights therefore differ: one centres on architecture and its dating, the other on contemporary images of local scenes.
The station also adds a railway theme: New Romney Station is the headquarters of the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway; the station also has a model railway exhibition. The murals at the station and the exhibition offer different points of interest here—one is public art, the other model railways.
The New Romney Heritage Trail offers leaflets. Orientation boards near Church of St Nicholas at Church Square and in the West Street car park, as well as plaques on important buildings, mark the route. This sets it apart from the Art Trail: the Heritage Trail focuses on finding important buildings and on the markers, while the Art Trail focuses on murals.
Nature and heritage at Romney Warren Country Park
Romney Warren Country Park is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest and is of national importance for great crested newts. The protected-site designation and its importance for this specifically named species give the nature theme a clear focus. Visitors wishing to compare the town’s history and architecture with a nature theme will find a different area of interest here from New Romney’s historic buildings.
The park has three walking trails. The Visitor Centre has exhibitions about the marsh and its heritage. The trails and exhibitions offer different points of interest: the trails are about getting out and about, while the exhibition covers the marsh and its heritage. Together, these themes offer another way to explore the region without replacing the focus on the town’s notable historical landmarks.
Discover more destinations: Smeeth, Stone, Wickhambreaux, Cliffs End, Sittingbourne, Rolvenden, Ringwould, Nonington
For the regional travel overview: Kent.
