Cley Harbour in Norfolk being restored to former glory

Phase two of the restoration of Cley Harbour is now complete, with around 900 meters of the once narrow and inaccessible River Glaven channel connecting the harbour to the sea being de-silted and re-profiled.

The ongoing works follow a previous project in 2015 in which the quay in the harbour, located next to the village’s landmark windmill, was renovated and brought back to life.

The River Glaven at Cley Harbour and the village's famous windmill (Image: Archant)

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Simon Read, chairman of Cley Harbour, formerly known as The Cley Old Harbour Restoration Project, said: “About 900m has now been de-silted and the bank stabilised by re-profiling.

"This will hopefully prevent further collapse and allow the channel to clear increased volumes of water at times of high tide or increased precipitation.

"We’ve noticed a large upturn in the number of visitors coming into Cley by boat in the last few years, and access to the village by boat will now be even easier. This re-profiling will also improve access to the river for wildlife.

"We are delighted that we have been able to carry out this vital work for all those who use the river and for the community of Cley".

Ongoing works (Image: Cley Harbour)

In 2020, 50m of mooring space was added the quay at Cley, but only small boats could access the village via the River Glaven due to gradual siltation and collapsing banks causing the river to become narrower. 

Until now, a direct passage to the sea by boat was virtually impossible.

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“On behalf of the Cley Harbour committee, I would like to everyone who has been involved," Mr Read added.

"There is still more to do, and we obviously have an on-going maintenance and improvement programme, but this is a major milestone and another important chapter in the fascinating history of Cley.”