Newnham is a village in NE Hampshire, in the district of Basingstoke and Deane, 4 miles E of Basingstoke and 20 miles NE of Winchester. The church is in the village centre and is built of flint with ashlar dressings. The nave has a NW tower of 3 storeys with gables on all four faces partly hiding the pyramid roof. The chancel is slightly lower. The church is 12thc in origin, and the chancel arch, the W nave doorway and the tower S doorway date from that period, but the church was restored in 1847-48 by Lord Dorchester in a heavy neo-Norman style which dominates the external appearance of the building.

Until 1198, Newnham was part of the large manor of Mapledurwell, held by Eskil before 1066, and by Hubert de Port in 1086. Adam de Port was holding this manor at the beginning of the 12thc., and he was succeeded by his son Roger de Port. His son, another Adam, was outlawed for treason in 1172 and forfeited all his possessions. In 1185 William FitzAudelin was holding Mapledurwell by King Henry II's gift, but then King Richard granted it to Alan Basset. In 1198 Alan Basset, Lord of Mapledurwell, granted 3 hides in Newnham out of the manor of Mapledurwell to Hugh de Arundel, to hold from him and his heirs for the service of a knight's fee. Newnham was held by Hugh's son, and his grandson, but by 1275 it had passed out of this family. Further history of the manor will be founf]d in Victoria County History.

Bullen dates the chancel arch to c.1125, and suggests that the two doorways also belonged to the church mentioned in a charter of Henry de Port to West Sherborne Priory of c.1130.