Cley next the Sea

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.

Understand
Cley lies on the A149 Norfolk Coast Road. The village is surrounded by rare habitats for protected species.

The River Glaven is a habitat for the critically endangered European Eel (Anguilla Anguilla). They breed in the Sargasso Sea near Bermuda and return to Europe for much of their lives. Their population has fallen by around 95% in the last 40 years, according to the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust.

Norfolk Wildlife Trust's Cley and Salthouse Marshes were purchased in 1926 to be held "in perpetuity as a bird breeding sanctuary". It is a 300-hectare coastal reserve and birdwatching site. The marshes are homes for avocet, spoonbill, lapwing, bittern, wigeon and marsh harrier.

Blakeney National Nature Reserve - a National Trust reserve - is named after the neighbouring village of Blakeney. It is a breeding ground for the tern in summer and grey seals in the winter. The grey seals reside at Blakeney Point all year 'round. Visitors can access Blakeney Point on ferry trips, departing from Morston Quay. Access on foot is via a footpath from Cley Beach, but dog restrictions apply throughout the spring and summer for bird nesting season.

Cley was recorded in the Domesday Book, with 38 households in 1086.

Cley Harbour is a former port, and a restoration project is underway after it was left stranded by the receding North Sea. According to quay custodians, the harbour was reported to have been "in the grip of organised gangs of pirates" in 1317. In the 1600s, trade with today's Benelux region - the Low Countries. The port became a major outlet for North Norfolk farm produce, particularly grain, until its demise in the 1800s. The Custom House closed in 1853.

By road
From Blakeney and Wells-next-the-Sea, follow eastbound into Cley.

From Sheringham and Cromer, follow westbound into Cley.

From (Holt, Fakenham and  from London), join Blakeney Road in Letheringsett towards Glandford, then signs into Cley.

By bus
From Wells, Sheringham and Cromer, use CH1 Coasthopper into Cley.

From Holt, Thursford, Wiveton, Binham and Warham (also Wells), use limited service Sanders Coaches 46.

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. The route is waymarked and follows the North Sea coastline in the county, through Brancaster, Burnham Overy Staithe, Wells, Blakeney, Weybourne, Sheringham and West Runton.

From Blakeney, the Norfolk Coast Path follows an elevated coastal defence around the marshes into Cley village centre. From Weybourne, the path follows the edge of the beach to Cley Beach/Cley Eye.

Get around
Cley is a very small village. There is car parking at the village hall and at the beach. These car parks are signposted.

Although it is easy to get around by foot, some roads are narrow and drivers must share the carriageway with pedestrians, including on the A149 High Street.

Cobbled and narrow streets may prove difficult for some wheelchair or pushchair users, but not impossible.

Cley Beach is roughly one mile from the village centre. The Norfolk Coast Path connects both locations and is signposted. Blakeney Point is roughly one mile from Cley Beach and is only accessible on foot from the village. Dog restrictions may apply in bird nesting season. Ferry tours depart from Morston Quay, in the next village.

Sleep
There are a range of places to stay in Cley - cottages and camping, as well as some more unique opportunities for overnight stays:



Connect
According to Ofcom, there is good voice call, 3G and 4G signal over much of Cley by EE, O2, Vodafone and Three. These mobile networks can be patchy in some of the more isolated areas of the village and coastline.

Go next
There are plenty of towns and villages to visit nearby:


 * Holt, once a Roman settlement, has a market which dates back to the Georgian period with plenty of shops and lunchtime restaurants.
 * Cromer is a traditional English seaside town with a pier, arcades, year-round musical shows and plenty of opportunities for fish and chips.
 * Sheringham is a bustling town with plenty of shopping opportunities and a heritage railway to Holt.
 * Wells-next-the-Sea has a working quay, fish and chip shops, plenty of oysters to sample and a big, sandy beach.
 * Burnham Market is perfect for elevenses with plenty of tea shops.
 * Norwich, Norfolk's cathedral city, is less than an hour away from Cley.