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Village in Norfolk, England
Photo: Andy F, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Cley next the Sea is a small village with a high street in Norfolk. It lies in the North Norfolk Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, near the mouth of the River Glaven. Cley lies roughly midway between the towns Wells-next-the-Sea and Sheringham. The village is home to a beach, which extends eastwards to Blakeney Point, Britain's largest grey seal colony, which is named after the neighbouring village.
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Café and learning centre with views over the Cley and Salthouse Marshes. Learn about the conservation work at Norfolk Wildlife Trust, or spot and hear avocet, bittern, marsh harrier, teal and spoonbill over the flat marshland.
Discover Robin Bouttell's Pinkfoot Bronzes - wildlife sculptures - and paintings by wildlife artists from Cley, Norfolk and beyond.
Walk out to see Britain's largest grey seal colony from Cley Beach, or spot breeding tern in the winter.
See Cley Windmill towering over the marshes. The five-storey mill which was bult in the early 19th century is now a bed and breakfast.
Built by Sir Alfred Jodrell, this museum is a window into the "cabinet of curiosities" era. Alongside an assortment of shells, this museum also features a sugar bowl used by Queen Elizabeth I, a collection of Glandford artefacts and a tiny wooden barrel "made from teak of HMS Warspite — a ship which was involved in the Battle of Trafalgar".
Walk from Cley to Blakeney along the Norfolk Coast Path, a dividing line between the salt and freshwater marshes.
A café serving cakes and coffee during the daytimes. Also breakfasts and lunches, and dinner events during the summer season
Relaxed dining at Wiveton's village pub
A seafood stop-off serving locally caught crab and seafood, on the Coast Road
Drinks and dining at a classy rural Norfolk pub
Bed and breakfast in a five-storey 19th-century windmill. Range of rooms and self-catering venues.
Stay at one of the cottages, in the West Wing of the Jacobean (17th-century) Wiveton Hall, or go camping in the grounds of this Norfolk estate
Buy freshly smoked fish, cured meats, homemade pâté and Cromer crab from this traditional smokehouse
Stoneware pottery, tableware, crockery, jewellery, prints and photographs from local makers
A delicious selection of picnic food, spreads, breads, meats, pies and olives at this Norfolk delicatessen.
Selection of second-hand books in Louise Abbott's store. A long-time favourite of twitchers and holidaymakers.
By bus
From Wells, Sheringham and Cromer, use CH1 Coasthopper into Cley.
By train
The closest National Rail station is in Sheringham, with Greater Anglia trains direct from Norwich, Hoveton and Wroxham, North Walsham and Cromer. Connects with CH1 Coasthopper bus.
On foot
The Norfolk Coast Path, one of Britain's National Trails, passes through Cley. In the west, the path's terminus is at Hunstanton. In the east, the path's terminus is at Cromer.
Cley is a very small village. There is car parking at the village hall and at the beach. These car parks are signposted.
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Norwich, Norfolk · Regional · NWI
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