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.
Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter
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.
-
An elegant country house that comes with 63 gloriously unspoilt acres of Devon, and 400 fascinating years of history
Penny Churchill takes a look at the beautiful Hudscott Manor.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
The flat Mick Jagger shared with Keith Richards, and more Chelsea-themed fun: Country Life Quiz of the Day, May 21, 2025
The Rolling Stones lived in squalor in the days when Chelsea was rougher around the edges — find out how much they paid for the privilege, and how much they'd need today
By Country Life Published
-
An elegant country house that comes with 63 gloriously unspoilt acres of Devon, and 400 fascinating years of history
Penny Churchill takes a look at the beautiful Hudscott Manor.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
A tranquil cottage in Essex where Grayson Perry used to do his paper round
Great Bardfield was home to a variety of famous artists, and with properties such as Vine Cottage, it's not difficult to understand why.
By James Fisher Published
-
A home of horticultural and architectural grandeur for sale near Banbury
Reception and bedrooms on the inside, garden rooms by Lanning Roper on the outside.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
22 charming country homes for sale, from £500k to £3m, as seen in Country Life
Our regular look at some of the best homes to come to the market via Country Life includes everything from thatched cottages in the West Country to sprawling estates.
By Toby Keel Published
-
An effortlessly contemporary home in Surrey for quiet contemplation
Graylings in the Surrey Hills was designed by Baufritz and is a delight of modern design.
By James Fisher Published
-
Curiosity abounds in Kent at Flimwell Grange, where an old brandy vat is now a pool house
This period delight is full of curious treasures, and offers outstanding views of the Garden of England.
By James Fisher Published
-
London is a happy city, but not the happiest city, according to new research
It is, however, a very romantic city, according to different research. So that's good.
By James Fisher Published
-
Swim above the competition in London's highest outdoor pool
The new Shard Place development is the latest amenity-filled addition to the Shard Quarter
By James Fisher Published