St Margaret's, Cley

St Margaret’s is the parish church of Cley next the Sea in Norfolk, standing on the edge of the Blakeney Haven. The building is mainly Perpendicular in style, with parts from the Decorated and early English periods. Rebuilt between the 1320s and the mid-1340s, it has a wide nave and once had large transepts. A grand south porch was added before the end of the 14th century. The church is Grade I listed for its outstanding architecture. The church holds many war memorials and contains fine fittings such as an octagonal font and carved wooden bench ends. Its rood screen and Decorated tracery add to the craftsmanship inside. In 2008 an unusual American bird, the white-crowned sparrow, appeared in Cley. Birdwatchers raised over £6,000 for the church’s restoration and an image of the sparrow was placed in one of its windows. Visitors find a spacious nave with high arcades and a chancel that shows early English features. The transepts are no longer in use but remain as ruins. The south porch shelters a richly carved doorway. Inside, the rood screen divides the nave from the chancel and the font stands near the west end. The church’s war memorials line the walls, marking local service and sacrifice.