The small town of New Romney is one of the original Cinque Ports and was a harbour town at the mouth of the River Rother but is now over a mile from the sea. Located on the edge of Romney Marsh, a flat, agricultural land reclaimed from the sea after the harbour began to silt up, the town of New Romney has an impressive Norman church centre and was once a centre for smuggling.
While New Romney may be small in statue, it has impressive food credentials thanks in part to Haguelands Farm Shop in nearby Burmarsh, which is a great example of a business supporting the local community by showcasing local Kent produce. In addition to fresh fruit, vegetables, milk, eggs and sausages, the shop offers unusual jams and preserves, vinegars and oils, cakes and biscuits, pies and puddings. Also in the Haguelands Village complex is a bistro serving big breakfasts, light bites and Sunday roasts, and a children’s play area.
The historic high street features three pubs – The New Inn, The Ship and Cinque Ports Arms – as well as other stunning buildings, while the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway provides a gentle journey over 13 miles of track on a steam train between Hythe and the lighthouses at Dungeness via Dymchurch, St Mary’s Bay and its base at New Romney.
Nearby, the award-winning eco friendly Romney Marsh Visitor Centre houses a permanent exhibition on how the marsh landscape was formed, its history and wildlife. The centre has sustainable features such as a “living” sedum roof, rendered straw bale walls and a wood burning stove.
