Cley Next The Sea - History

History

Despite its name, Cley has not been "next the sea" since the 17th century, due to land reclamation. Some of the buildings that once lined the quay remain, notably the 18th-century Cley Windmill. The windmill was owned by the family of singer James Blunt for many decades and operated as a bed and breakfast. The mill was sold in 2006, but continues to operate as a bed and breakfast on a non-profit making basis. It was used as a backdrop of the 1949 film Conspirator with Elizabeth Taylor. Cley Mill has often been depicted by local artists and was the subject of a painting by the 20th century English landscape artist, Rowland Hilder.

The poet Rupert Brooke was in Cley early in August 1914, staying with the Cornfords - the classics professor Francis Macdonald Cornford and his wife, the poet Frances Cornford - when news came that Britain had entered the First World War. Brooke had dreamt about the war and woke to find it a reality. He did not speak to his hosts all day until Frances Cornford said, 'But Rupert, you won't have to fight?' to which Brooke replied, 'We shall all have to fight'.

Cley Old Hall was used as a location in the 1982 film The Ploughman's Lunch. In July 1997 the BBC filmed one of its BBC One balloon idents, which ran from 1997 to 2002, in the village.

Hard as it may be to imagine, Cley was once one of the busiest ports in England, where grain, malt, fish, spices, coal, cloth, barley and oats were exported or imported. The many Flemish gables in the town are a reminder of trade with the Low countries. Since the silting up of the port, Cley had to find another industry: in the late 19th century, it became a holiday resort.