TR 065248. New Romney was first mentioned in charters of AD 895 and 914, there were probably the beginnings of prosperity pre 1000. The port of Old Romney had silted up well before the Norman Conquest, and so the settlement was forced to move nearer the sea. This was New Romney which was formed on a shingle bank projecting into the north side of the estuary. Beresford believes the town to be perhaps the earliest new or 'planned' town in England, being established c AD 960. However, Parkin quoting S E Rigold believes it to be a little later. This dating is based on the first coins to be minted at New Romney, the 'long-cross' type of AD 997-1003. As it was the privilege of every port to have a mint, it is likely that the foundation of the town coincides with the beginnings of the coinage. The planned town was thus of c AD 1000. It had a regular grid of streets, with four long streets parallel to the coast, and a number of short cross-streets. The market, a wider street, was probably at the east end of the present High Street, with likely the mint close by. The lands in and around New Romney would have been owned by the archbishop, and he would have planned the port and borough here in c. AD 1000 with the kings permission. In 1052 it was recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as an important port for ships, and by 1066 it was flourishing. It became one of the five original cinque ports. (1-8) Additional bibliography. (9-12) Additional bibliography - not consulted. (13) Romney is mentioned in 1086 as a borough with 85 burgesses belonging to the manor of Aldington, 21 to Langport and 50 to the hundred of Langport. During the period 1100-34 a charter of Henry II (confirmed in 1205 by John) granted to Romney all the liberties of Hastings as in the time of Henry I. (14)

<1> AS Towns in Southern Eng (ed J Haslam) 1984 26-28 (T Tatton-Brown) (OS Card Reference). SKE37391.

<2> Arch Cant 88 1973 117-118 (E W Parkin) (OS Card Reference). SKE35922.

<3> New Towns of the Middle Ages 1967 459 (M Beresford) (OS Card Reference). SKE47534.

<4> Md Eng an aerial survey 1958 188-190 photo (M W Beresford, J K S St Joseph) (OS Card Reference). SKE46661.

<5> Md Eng an aerial survey 1979 206-207 photo (M W Beresford, J K S St Joseph) (OS Card Reference). SKE46663.

<6> Bldgs of Kent W Kent and the Weald 1980 434 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE38179.

<7> Arch Cant 65 1952 12-25 (G Ward) (OS Card Reference). SKE35395.

<8> Arch in Kent to AD 1500 (ed P E Leach) 1982 81 (T Tatton-Brown) (OS Card Reference). SKE36510.

<9> Arch Cant 13 1880 349-373 (W A Scott Robertson) (OS Card Reference). SKE34696.

<10> Arch Cant 13 1880 261-280 (W A Scott Robertson) (OS Card Reference). SKE34695.

<11> Arch Cant 13 1880 201-215 (E B Walker) (OS Card Reference). SKE34689.

<12> Arch Cant 42 1930 1-36 (M Teichman-Derville) (OS Card Reference). SKE35105.

<13> The Cinque Ports 1952 7 (R and Jessup) (OS Card Reference). SKE50280.

<14> Beresford, M.W. & Finberg, H.P.R. English Md Boroughs. 1973, 130 (OS Card Reference). SKE37634.