Tower Open Day 2026
New Romney Tower Open Day
Saturday 25th July 2026
10.30am - 2pm
Visiting New Romney Country Fayre?
Enjoy a rare opportunity to see inside the church tower!
🔔 Explore behind the scenes of St Nicholas’ Tower
🔔 Visit the ringing room
🔔 See the bells including the Sanctus bell from 1499
🔔 Enjoy spectacular views from the tower roof
🔔 Talk to the team about trying bellringing
🔔 £3 suggested donation per adult, under 16s free*
The Tower Tour
Our team will be inside the church entrance from 10.30am to 2pm, ready to direct you up the spiral stairs to step back in time and experience the tower and bells that have been an iconic part of the Romney Marsh for many centuries. Click Here to find out more about the history of the tower.
The Ringing Chamber
In the ringing room, you will see where the magic happens! Also, the large windows offer a view of New Romney from an elevated perspective and the walls display images of the history of the tower and ringers.
Around the centre of the room are the ropes attached to the 8 bells in the belfry above - you may notice numbers on the mats denoting which bell each rope controls. If you're lucky, you may see a ringing demonstration or even get a chance to try it yourself (with careful supervision from one of our expert ringers).
When you're ready, a marshal at the door will direct you up to see the bells themselves. ton of letters. making it look like readable English.
The Belfry
You've likely heard the bells many times, now you get to see them up close from the safety and comfort of our viewing platform. There's the Sanctus bell from 1499 while our youngest bells are a sprightly 117 years old. You can read more about the bells here.
The Roof
Carry on up the stairs and climb through the small door onto the roof. While its broach spire was removed in the 18th century, the roof now provides a stunning vantage point, offering visitors breathtaking views across the marshes. distribution of letters. king it look like readable English.
The Church
On your return to the ground floor, we heartily recommend you continue on into the church where you can purchase tea and cake and enjoy a well-earned rest and moment of calm in this fascinating historical church before heading back to the fun of the New Romney Fayre.
Open Day FAQs
What does it cost?
We ask for a minimum donation of £3 per adult (children go free but must be accompanied by an adult).
All proceeds go to St Nicholas Church. If you also want to make a separate donation to the belltower fund to support the continuation of bellringing in New Romney, you are welcome to do so.
Do you take card payment?
Unfortunately, we do not have the facility to take card payment. The nearest cash machine can be found outside the Spar shop on the High St (opposite Costa).
How can I find you?
We will be in the entrance area of the church:
How accessible is the tour?
The tower was not built with ease of access in mind! Unfortunately, it may not be suitable for people with limited mobility. We also recommend leaving any bulky or heavy bags with our team downstairs (nothing valuable please as we cannot take responsibility for anything lost or stolen).
Access to the tower is via stone spiral steps with a metal handrail along the newel column, you will also need to step over a beam to enter the ringing chamber. Access to the roof is via a small raised door but the view is well worth it!
If there are parts of the tour you would rather skip, that's absolutely fine and our team are ready to help if you have any anxieties.
Is it suitable for children?
Absolutely! The tower is educational and interesting for children of all ages, older children (10yrs+) may also be interested in bellringing as a hobby.
Please just bear in mind that it is a working tower and children must be very closely supervised at all times. Please ensure that they do not touch anything in the tower unless invited to (particularly the ropes), they remain safely on the viewing platform in the belfry and are supervised on the roof. Care should also be taken on the stairs.
Who runs the tours?
The bellringers of St Nicholas staff the open day along with ringers from other towers. We are volunteers who are passionate about sharing this unique experience with visitors.
Where can I find out more about learning bellringing?
The best way to find out about bellringing is to come and try it for yourself! Please enquire with the team during your visit and we'll be in touch to arrange a trial session. If you're not local, we can point you in the right direction for your area.