A majestic windmill in Norfolk for sale that could be a gorgeous home — or a thriving lifestyle business for someone escaping the rat race
The very flatness of north Norfolk makes Cley Windmill a genuine landmark in this beautifully-unspoilt corner of East Anglia — now, it's for sale for just the second time in a century.

There are some properties which come to the market which can't help but provoke a strong, emotional reaction. Private islands for sale, romantic castles and thatched cottages all seem to hit the spot, but there's one class of property which also manages to do so which isn't even really a home: the windmill.
Buying a windmill can mean you have to compromise in the size and shape of your rooms, put up with a lack of privacy (generally each floor inside a windmill is a single room with a staircase, making installation of doors tricky) and tackle all manner of maintenance headaches that come with tall, old buildings.
The gains, however, are wonderful. Few things are more romantically stirring than a windmill — particularly if it still has its sails — and there's also a quirkiness which absolutely appeals to British eccentricity.
One such windmill has just come to the market via Strutt & Parker in the pretty Norfolk village of Cley-next-the-Sea. Cley Windmill is a true local landmark that has been standing here since the 18th century (it's Grade II*-listed), and which has served as a home since it stopped milling in 1921. The person who decided to make that conversion was Mary, Duchess of Bedford — aka the Flying Duchess — and it later became the childhood home of singer James Blunt.
In recent years it's been run as a boutique guest house and wedding venue, with the 11 bedrooms having the standard of interior decoration that you'd expect on that basis: there are four-poster beds, beautifully-finished fixtures and fittings and a wealth of original features.
There is also a restaurant and a number of outbuildings — including a converted dovecote and the 'Old Cart Shed' — for the new owner to do with as they wish. There's certainly a fine lifestyle business to be run here, for someone with the appetite to do so.
Cley itself is a very pretty village that was once a prosperous port before a combination of land reclamation and silting in the River Glaven changed the nature of the coast in this spot.
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
As such the windmill is a mile of so from the coast and the river is navigable only in small boats — but it's all the more charming for that.
Eight irresistible thatched cottages for sale, from under £450,000
The romantic appeal of an English country cottage with a thatched roof never fades, as these wonderful homes show.
Toby Keel is Country Life's Digital Director, and has been running the website and social media channels since 2016. A former sports journalist, he writes about property, cars, lifestyle, travel, nature.
-
Ashford Castle review: The fantastic five-star hotel in Ireland that the Guinness family once used to show off their wealth and influence
You’ve seen ‘The House of Guinness’ — well here’s the castle.
By Lotte Brundle Published
-
The David Beckham edition of the Country Life Quiz of the Day, October 22, 2025
Icon of the football pitch, underwear adverts and the countryside — we celebrate our guest editor Sir David Beckham in today's quiz.
By Country Life Published
-
A country house near Windsor that could be straight from the pages of a Jilly Cooper novel
Penny Churchill looks at the beautiful polo-lover's sanctuary that is Barkham Square Park.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
The factory that once fuelled the Victorians' insatiable appetite for pianos has become a set of gorgeous, characterful apartments
Chappell & Co were a huge name in 19th century music, even working with Beethoven. Today, one of their old factories in Camden has become a series of beautiful apartments.
By Toby Keel Published
-
What £1 million buys you across Britain, from a Cornish cottage to a miniature castle in the Highlands
Sprawling country houses, a mini-estate in Scotland and homes where the sea almost laps up at your feet are among the property options open to those with a seven-figure budget. Here's our pick of the best £1 million houses for sale across the land.
By Toby Keel Published
-
The Hampshire home of a Victoria Cross-winning British WWI ace fighter pilot is for sale, with lake, chapel and some of the best fishing rights in England
Penny Churchill looks at Longparish House, a north Hampshire haven on the River Test.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
Five superb country homes, from under £1 million to £20 million, as seen in Country Life
Our look at some the best homes to come up for sale via Country Life in the past week includes a Wiltshire dream home and a vast Kent mansion that's an easy commute to the City.
By Toby Keel Published
-
Rock stars and the country house: Liam Gallagher's life in the Cotswolds is in the finest tradition of music A-listers, from The Beatles to Beyoncé
What is it about the British countryside that draws A-listers from every walk of life? With Liam Gallagher's Cotswold former home on the market, Toby Keel takes a look.
By Toby Keel Published
-
Life on Portugal's Coast of Kings, where Ian Fleming met the triple-agent whose gambling inspired 'Casino Royale'
Once a quiet fishing village west of Lisbon, Cascais became an unlikely hive of activity during the Second World War, attracting regal refugees and intelligence operatives in equal measure. Russell Higham investigates its enduring glamour — and its connection to Casino Royale.
By Russell Higham Published
-
An extraordinary Italian palazzo built in the heart of Oxfordshire is up for sale at £16 million
The Palazzo Pallavicini in Genoa inspired the creation of Newington House, which is on the market for the first time in 35 years.
By Penny Churchill Published