Geograph - photograph every grid square

Grade I listed
The church dates from about 1095, and was originally on the edge of a large harbour. It is said that ships tied up to the wall of the churchyard. The Norman church consisted of tower, nave with clerestory windows, aisles with low pitched roofs, and a small chancel. Masons were bought over from Normandy and it was probably completed by 1100.
The interior of the church is large, with north and south aisles, and a nave with Norman piers alternating between round and octagonal.
The tower was originally only of 3 tiers, built a little later than the nave, 2 further tiers were built in about 1200. There are 8 bells and the remains of a broach spire which was removed in 18th C. Some of the corbels have carved faces.
In the 12th C. New Romney was an important port - a Cinque Port, but in 1287 a terrible storm hit the south coast and silted up the harbour completely. New Romney became landlocked a mile from the sea. The river Rother, which flowed into the sea at New Romney, changed its course and now entered at Rye. Hastings and Winchelsea were also affected by the storm. The floor of the church is now several feet below present ground level.
In 13th & 14th Centuries the church was enlarged with the present high chancel and side chapels, the north Lady Chapel, and south St Stephen's chapel. The aisles were widened and raised. The Lady chapel has several table tombs, one with a brass to Thomas and Mary Smythe of 1610.There is also a recessed arch tomb from 14th C. of which little is known. St Stephens chapel has an altar tomb to Richard Stuppeny, d. 1499.
A planned "restoration" in 1880 was stopped by the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings.