Cley Marshes
Roughly midway between Cley-next-the-Sea and Salthouse along the A149, you will find Cley Marshes Nature Reserve. Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s oldest and best-known nature reserve.
Together with Salthouse Marshes it attracts more than 110,000 human visitors each year.
The reserve’s position in the middle of the Norfolk coastline makes it ideally placed to attract rare birds, as well as thousands of common ones. It is the birding mecca!
From the state-of-the-art NWT visitor centre, you can access the salt- and freshwater marshes, reedbeds and the coastal shingle ridge via several footpaths.
You can avoid the £ 5 charge by walking round the edge of the reserve, but that would be such a shame because then you will miss out on the hides. The six hides give fantastic views across pools and scrapes.
Cley-next-the-Sea
Cley-next-the-Sea on the North Norfolk Coast AONB has more to offer than just birds.
It is a charming village with wonderful walks right at its doorstep. It features Cley Mill, a famous Norfolk landmark. The mill dates from the 18th century and it now serves as a B&B.
Cley’s High Street has some lovely buildings and some great places to eat and quaint shops such as an excellent smokehouse and deli.
Walking
Just start at the NWT Visitor Centre on the Coast Road – A149 towards Sheringham. Talk to the lovely staff and they will help you pick a route across the marshes.
From the visitor centre you can enjoy a short walk along boardwalks through the reedbeds to the three main hides. Or you can walk 400 m to Bishop’s hide.
The Cley Marshes circular is less than 3 miles long and will take you about 1.5 to 2 hours. You will walk along the perimeter of the nature reserve.
Norfolk Coast Path
The Norfolk Coast Path provides 84 miles (135 km) of walking from Hunstanton to Hopton-on-Sea through fantastic scenery and landscape.
The majority of the Trail runs through the Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
The section from Blakeney Point to Cley Marshes is 4 miles long and the views towards the sea and across Blakeney Nature Reserve are absolutely stunning.
Cool Places to Explore: Blakeney Point | Salthouse Marshes | Holkham Beach | Burnham Market | Sheringham Park | Felbrigg Hall | Cromer | Old Hunstanton Beach.
Cool Places to Eat: Artemis Coffeeshop | Cley Smokehouse | Picnic Fayre | Wiveton Bell | Socius.
