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Cley tower mill

Viewed from the end of the 17th century deep water quay. Cley Mill, a 5-storey brick-built tower mill, was built around 1819; it had an octagonal domed cap with a petticoat, a gallery and an 8-bladed fan. The four sails were double shuttered and powered two pairs of French burr stones; there was a stage around the second floor. The mill is located by the 17th century deep water quay; converted into a holiday home in the 1920s it is now a B&B establishment. Link

In the foreground Red valerian (Centranthus ruber) can be seen, flowering in profusion. The plant can be found growing on walls, rocks and cliffs, their roots burying themselves into holes and crevices so as to give a firm anchorage. Originating from the Mediterranean, it was introduced as a garden plant during the 16th century but has since escaped and become naturalised.

Reed beds cover the area beside the drain where a quay once used to be > Link . Present-day Cley is not in the same location as the medieval village of Cley used to be. This was located south of St Margaret's church > Link and had a busy harbour, which was ruined by embanking in the 1640s by Sir Henry Calthorpe. A fire had already encouraged relocation in 1612. When Thomas Telford had been called in, in 1822, to advise on the problem of silting the Cley channel, his advice was ignored and the once busy port is now history. Many of the houses and cottages that line the narrow High Street (A149) through the village are built from flint and brick and date from the 17th and 18th centuries.