Cley next the Sea’s story
33 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Cley next the Sea’s built-up area.
25% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Cley next the SeaNorfolk
Population 203: a village in Norfolk, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Bikeboy · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
203
Census 2021 · North Norfolk council
Median age
51.8
27% are 65+ · Norfolk 24%
Degree level
28%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
13%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Cley next the Sea a good place to live?
Grades need 1,000 residents, so Cley next the Sea has none; the figures on this page are still real. 33 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I. On the way to work, 13% walk, cycle or take a bus or train. It skews older: 27% of residents are 65 or over.
What makes Cley next the Sea stand out
The 3 things Cley next the Sea does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade I, including Church of St Margaret; 66.7 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
13% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
27% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Cley next the Sea.
Who lives here
Fewer children live in Cley next the Sea than in Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns: 13% are under 15
51.8median age
People 65 and over make up 27% of the town. Residents of Cley next the Sea have a median age of 51.8. Degrees are held by 28% of adults, higher than Norfolk’s towns (26%) yet lower than England’s towns (34%).
Cley next the SeaNorfolkEngland
Ages · share of residents
27%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications24%
Apprenticeship2%
A levels or similar14%
Degree level28%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Cley next the Sea | Norfolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 13% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 37% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 27% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 24% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 1.8% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 14% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 28% | 26% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Norfolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Work tends to be further away for Cley next the Sea: 32% commute under 5 km, below Norfolk’s towns and England’s towns
13%walk, cycle or ride
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 35% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
3% of commuters who live in Cley next the Sea also work there. Driving is how 83% of commuters got to work at the census. Working mainly from home: just over a third of workers, above Norfolk’s towns (25%) and England’s towns (31%) alike. Households take home £45K a year before tax, on average.
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving83%
On foot7%
Bicycle4%
Bus2%
32%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
35%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£45K
mean household income, before tax
1.8%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Housing
Social housing is more common in Cley next the Sea than in Norfolk’s towns or across England’s towns, at 34% of households
£0Kmedian sale
Private renters make up 10% of households, lower than both Norfolk’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (21%). Home ownership stands at 55% of households. That is the middle of 4 standard sales inside Cley next the Sea’s built-up area over three years, against £277,000 in the typical UK town.
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Cley next the Sea£0K
Typical UK town£277K
55%
of households own their home · England 61%
10%
rent privately · England 21%
£865
average private rent a month, North Norfolk council area
£2,416
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Safety
Cley next the Sea records more burglary and damage per resident than Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns, at 16.4 per 1,000 a year
21.4violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
In the 12 months to August 2026, police logged 7 crimes inside Cley next the Sea’s built-up area. Violence and sexual offences made up 86% of the total. There were 3.3 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), lower than both Norfolk’s towns (5) and England’s towns (7.8).
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual6
Damage & arson1
Shoplifting0
Public order0
Other theft0
Burglary0
Drugs0
Vehicle crime0
Anti-social0
Not gradedAnti-social behaviour, shoplifting and other theft are shown but left out of the Safety Grade, which counts violence and crimes against homes and vehicles per resident.
21.4
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
16.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.3
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
7
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL · The police category of violence and sexual offences includes harassment and stalking.
Health
Bad health is more common in Cley next the Sea than in Norfolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 8.3% of residents
75%good or very good health
75% of people in Cley next the Sea rate their own health good or very good. At the census, 23% of people here had a disability, above Norfolk’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (17%) alike. The nearest A&E to Cley next the Sea is Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, 23.9 miles away.
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 75%Fair 16%Bad or very bad 8%
| Census 2021 | Cley next the Sea | Norfolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 75% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 8.3% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 23% | 20% | 17% |
82.2
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.3
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · The census answers take no account of age, so a young town looks healthier; the Health Grade relies on age-adjusted measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them.
History
More buildings in Cley next the Sea are listed than in Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns: 1,626 per 10,000 residents
33listed buildings
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Cley next the Sea’s listed buildings include the Church of St Margaret, Grade I. Conservation areas cover 100% of the town’s land, above both Norfolk’s towns (6%) and England’s towns (7%). 25% of homes date from before 1919. At the top of the list, 1 are Grade I and 1 Grade II*.
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*1
Grade II31
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St Margaret Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
25%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
1,626
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Cley next the Sea
13pages on Cley next the Sea
The big questions
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Wiveton Hall and 5 more in and around Cley next the Sea
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Cley next the Sea. Best known first.
Historic houseWiveton Hall500 m outside town, to the northwest
MuseumThe Shell Museum1.4 km outside town, to the south
Historic houseBayfield Hall2.3 km outside town, to the south
Historic houseMorston Hall3.8 km outside town, to the westRuinsRuins · English HeritageGuildhall1.6 km outside town, to the northwestAttractionAttractionLetheringsett Water Mill4.2 km outside town, to the southPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (4)
- Wiveton Hall: stavros1, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- The Shell Museum: David Williams, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Bayfield Hall: stavros1, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Morston Hall: Maypm, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
About Cley next the Sea
Village in Norfolk, England
Cley next the Sea is a built-up area of 203 people, in the North Norfolk council area. TownRatings uses ONS’s 2022 built-up areas as towns: the physical town, as people mean the word, rather than a council district, so its figures cover the town itself.
Built from ONS geography and Census 2021
- Population
- 203 (Census 2021)
- Council
- North Norfolk
- County
- Norfolk
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63001950
Cley next the Sea’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
HoltMelton ConstableBristonSheringhamWest Runton and Beeston RegisWells-next-the-SeaCromerCley next the Sea
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cley next the Sea | 203 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Holt | 4,014 | 3.4 | D | D− | C | B |
| Melton Constable | 1,176 | 6.2 | — | C+ | A− | B |
| Briston | 1,983 | 6.6 | — | D | A− | B |
| Sheringham | 7,087 | 6.7 | C | D | B | B |
| West Runton and Beeston Regis | 1,463 | 7.5 | — | D | A+ | B |
| Wells-next-the-Sea | 2,151 | 8.1 | — | D− | C+ | A− |
| Cromer | 7,522 | 11 | C− | C− | C+ | C |
Melton Constable, Briston, West Runton and Beeston Regis and Wells-next-the-Sea have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Cley next the Sea
How many listed buildings are there in Cley next the Sea?
That is 66.7 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St Margaret.
How much is council tax in Cley next the Sea?
Band D council tax in Cley next the Sea is £2,416 for 2026–27, less than in 55% of UK towns (council, county, police and fire, plus the parish or town council). Your own bill depends on your home’s band; check it on GOV.UK.
Sources: ONS Census 2021, output areas summed to the ONS 2022 built-up area · HM Land Registry Price Paid (standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026) · ONS Price Index of Private Rents (August 2026, by council) · MHCLG and Welsh Government council tax, Band D 2026–27 (with parish precepts in England) · data.police.uk street-level crime, 36 months to August 2026, points inside the built-up-area boundary · ONS small-area life expectancy and healthy life expectancy, 2019 to 2023 (England and Wales), OHID Fingertips small-area indicators (England) and Census 2021 health, adjusted for age · ONS small-area income estimates (financial year ending 2023) · DWP claimant count via Nomis (January to August 2026) · Historic England, National Heritage List for England (listed buildings, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, battlefields, World Heritage Sites), October 2026, inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary · Valuation Office Agency, Council Tax: stock of properties by build period (31 March 2025) · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.