Blakeney to Cley to Salthouse: The Heart of the Norfolk Coast
📍 Blakeney → Salthouse📏 6 miles⏱ 2.5–3 hours🟢 Easy🚌 Bus back from Salthouse
⚠ Important — Please Read Before Setting Off
NorfolkWild guides are provided for general information only. You are solely responsible for your own safety and the safety of anyone in your group. Always carry out your own research before setting off on any route described on this site.
✓ Study a current OS Explorer map before every walk (OL24 / OL25 for North Norfolk)
✓ Check tide times before any coastal or salt marsh walk
✓ Verify bus timetables directly with Sanders Coaches before travel
✓ Tell someone your route and expected return time
✓ Carry a charged phone, paper map, food and water
✓ Wear appropriate clothing and footwear for conditions
✓ Assess whether the route suits your fitness and experience
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This short section of the Norfolk Coast Path packs more in than walks three times its length. Blakeney's medieval quay, the River Glaven at Cley, the most famous windmill in Norfolk, one of the finest birdwatching reserves in Britain and a long shingle bank with big sea views — all in six miles. The Dun Cow in Salthouse at the end is one of the best pubs on the coast.
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Distance
6 miles
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Walking time
2.5–3 hrs
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Difficulty
Easy
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Bus back
CH1 from Salthouse
Route map — Blakeney to Cley to Salthouse
Start (Blakeney)
Finish / bus stop (Salthouse)
Point of interest
Walking route
🚌 Coasthopper CH1 — Practical Information
Start pointBlakeney Village stop (The Quay)
Finish pointSalthouse village stop (Purdy Street)
Bus backCH1 Salthouse → Blakeney, approx every 60 mins
Combine with Walk 1Walk Wells → Blakeney, then Blakeney → Salthouse for a full 14-mile day
The Route
Stage 1 — Blakeney Quay to Blakeney Eye
1.5 miles · 30 mins
Start at Blakeney Quay — one of the most characterful spots on the Norfolk coast. Take a moment before setting off to look around the village: the 14th-century Guildhall down by the quay, the flint-fronted cottages, the boats moored in the channel at high tide. The walk starts north from the quay along the flood bank, following the Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path waymarks east. The path follows the marsh edge through Blakeney Freshes — a large area of grazing marsh and reed bed to the north of the village. Blakeney Eye is the point where the path turns south towards the River Glaven — a beautiful open viewpoint with Blakeney Point visible to the north and the church tower of St Nicholas behind you.
Stage 2 — Blakeney Eye to Cley-next-the-Sea
1.5 miles · 30 mins
From Blakeney Eye the path turns south and follows the channel of the River Glaven into Cley. The Glaven is a small but beautiful river — look for kingfishers darting along the bank and little egrets standing motionless in the shallows. The path arrives at Cley from the north, passing the famous Cley windmill on your right. The windmill is a 19th-century tower mill, beautifully restored and now operating as a holiday let and B&B. Stop in Cley to explore — the village has the excellent Picnic Fayre deli for supplies, the Cley Smokehouse for kippers and smoked fish, and the Norfolk Wildlife Trust visitor centre a short distance east on the A149.
Cley deli tip
Picnic Fayre in Cley is one of the finest delis on the Norfolk coast — extraordinary cheese, local meats, homemade pies and bread. Stock up here for a proper picnic on the shingle bank at Salthouse. The Cley Smokehouse next door does the best smoked salmon and kippers in Norfolk — worth buying to take home even if you don't open them until you're back.
Stage 3 — Cley to Salthouse along the Shingle Bank
3 miles · 1.5 hours
From Cley, the Coast Path crosses the A149 and heads north to the beach, then turns east along the shingle bank towards Salthouse. This is the most dramatic section of the walk — the shingle bank is exposed, wide and utterly open, with the North Sea on one side and the internationally important Cley and Salthouse Marshes on the other. The shingle ridge which begins at Weybourne is 8 miles long and has grown westwards over time, forming Blakeney Point spit. Vegetated shingle is a rare habitat, home to scarce plants such as horned sea poppy, sea pea and shrubby sea blight. Walking on shingle is slower than it looks — allow more time than the distance suggests. The views are extraordinary in every direction. Salthouse village appears behind the shingle after about 3 miles — descend from the bank and cross the marsh path into the village.
⚠️ Shingle walking: The shingle bank section is completely exposed to the North Sea wind. Even on warm days bring a windproof layer. Walking on shingle is hard on the ankles — boots with good ankle support make a real difference. In rough weather the sea can wash over the lower sections of the bank — check the forecast before setting out.
Points of Interest
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Blakeney Guildhall
A 14th-century brick undercroft right on Blakeney Quay — one of the oldest buildings in Norfolk. According to local legend it was connected by tunnels to the church and the quay, used by medieval merchants and later by smugglers. The Guildhall is managed by English Heritage and is open to the public. The story of the Blakeney Fiddler — a musician who went into the tunnels and was never seen again, heard only as a faint melody beneath the streets — is depicted on the village sign.
📍 Blakeney Quay · English Heritage
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Blakeney Freshes
The extensive area of marsh and grazing meadow between Blakeney village and the River Glaven. A decaying boat stuck in the mudflats has been there for years — abandoned but now possessing a certain aesthetic beauty that has made it one of the most photographed spots on the walk. The Freshes are managed as grazing marsh, and the combination of wet grassland and reed bed edges attracts snipe, redshank and yellow wagtails in season.
📍 Between Blakeney and Blakeney Eye on the Coast Path
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Cley Windmill
The most photographed windmill in Norfolk — and probably in England. A 19th-century tower mill standing on the edge of the village, perfectly reflected in the river channel at high water. The mill is now a B&B and holiday accommodation — staying in it is on the bucket list of many Norfolk visitors. Even if you're not staying, the view from the road is extraordinary and it's worth a brief detour to see it close up. Viewed from the end of the 17th-century deep water quay it's particularly fine.
Norfolk Wildlife Trust's flagship reserve — one of the most important birdwatching sites in Britain. The striking eco-friendly visitor centre sits on the A149 at the eastern edge of Cley and is worth a stop even if you don't go into the reserve. The staff are brilliant, the information is excellent, and the hides overlook lagoons where avocets, marsh harriers and a rotating cast of rare waders can be seen year-round. Entry to the reserve requires an NWT membership or day ticket.
The medieval church dates to the 1200s and sits in a fine location on a hill, offering splendid views along the coast and out to sea. It's one of the finest churches on the Norfolk coast — built with the wealth of the medieval wool trade that made this coastline prosperous. The churchyard has some remarkable old gravestones and the view from the south porch across the marshes to the sea is one of the best in Norfolk. The church is usually open.
📍 Salthouse, NR25 7XB · Usually open daily
Wildlife on This Walk
This is genuinely one of the finest short birdwatching walks in Britain. The combination of freshwater marsh, reed bed, river, shingle and saltmarsh habitat in a single 6-mile route is extraordinary.
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Marsh Harriers — hunt over the Cley and Salthouse marshes throughout the year. Multiple pairs breed at Cley. The sky above the reed beds in spring can have four or five birds visible simultaneously.
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Avocets — the iconic black and white wader breeds on the Cley lagoons. Elegant and unmistakable, sweeping their upturned bills through the water. Best seen from the NWT hides.
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Bearded Tits — tiny, acrobatic reed bed specialists that ping across the tops of the phragmites at Cley. Easy to hear, harder to see well — patience rewarded.
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Horned Sea Poppy — bright yellow flowers on the shingle bank between Cley and Salthouse, typically June–August. One of the most striking wildflowers on the Norfolk coast.
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Otters — occasionally seen on the River Glaven near Cley, particularly at dawn and dusk. Look for spraint (droppings) on exposed rocks in the channel as evidence of their presence.
Food and Drink
Picnic Fayre, Cley
Deli · Midway
One of the finest delis on the Norfolk coast. Exceptional cheese, local produce, homemade pies, excellent bread. Stock up here for a picnic on the shingle bank — far better than any pub lunch.
📍 High Street, Cley NR25 7RF
Cley Smokehouse
Specialist food shop · Cley
Kippers, salmon, smoked prawns and more — smoked in traditional oak kilns. The smoked salmon is extraordinary. Even if you only buy something to take home, it's worth the detour.
📍 High Street, Cley NR25 7RF
The Three Swallows, Cley
Pub · Cley
The village pub at Cley — good simple food, reliable ales and a friendly atmosphere. Handy for a midpoint break before continuing to Salthouse.
📍 High Street, Cley NR25 7RG
The Dun Cow, Salthouse
Pub · End of walk
They do good food and have an interesting interior with wood beams and an exposed brick fireplace. Outside there's a lovely garden area with fine views over the Salthouse Marshes. Dog friendly. One of our favourite post-walk pubs on the entire Norfolk coast.
📍 Purdy Street, Salthouse NR25 7XA
What to Bring
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Waterproof Walking Boots
Essential for the marsh-edge sections around Blakeney and the River Glaven. The shingle bank section is fine in most footwear but ankle support helps significantly on loose shingle.
Cley is one of the finest birdwatching sites in Britain. Without binoculars you'll see birds — with them you'll identify them. If you ever invest in binoculars for Norfolk walking, do it before this walk.
