East of England Visitor Guide 2018

CLEY NEXT THE SEA
The picturesque village of Cley next the
Sea lies just east of Blakeney, on the River
Glaven, in the Norfolk Coast Area of
Outstanding Natural Beauty and the North
Norfolk Heritage Coast.
Visitors will find brick and flint houses,
narrow lanes and sea paths, art and craft
galleries including ‘Made In Cley’ selling
pottery, prints, jewellery and sculptures, specialist
food shops such as Cley Smokehouse,
pubs, a teashop and a magnificent church,
as well as Cley’s famous saltmarshes, one of
Britain’s premier birdwatching sites.
Due to land reclamation the village is no
longer ‘next the sea’. The River Glaven, once
navigable by large ships, began to silt up in
the early 17th century. The area that is now
the village green was, during the Middle
Ages, a thriving trading port exporting and
importing cloth, grain, malt, spices and coal.
Cley is also known for its landmark, Cley
Windmill, a fine 18th century mill that now
serves as a highly rated holiday home.
Beyond the windmill there are the paths and
creeks of Cley Marshes to explore.
Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s Cley Nature Reserve,
on the edge of the marshes and overlooked
by a glassed visitor centre, has an international
reputation and is popular with
birdwatchers who come to see migrant and
wading birds.
NWT Cley Marshes Nature Reserve
01263 740008
Made In Cley 01263 740134
Cley Smokehouse 01263 740282
Cley Windmill 01263 740209