Footprints at Cley

Posted November 2019

Just seven miles down the road from Rookery Farm Barns is the beautiful coastal village of Cley.

With its old world charm, narrow streets and proximity to a wild expanse of the Norfolk coast, this little village is atmospheric and other worldly. It is not too difficult to envisage smugglers and pirates from years gone by hauling their good over the marshes. Certainly, if the walls of some of the little passage ways could talk, they would have many a tale to tell.

Cley: A very contemporary village

But that is this particular author’s imagination going wild. The Cley today is a mix of converted fisherman’s houses and some contemporary and very stylish modern architecture.

Nothing is more contemporary than the Norfolk Wildlife Trust (NWT) visitor centre. This impressive eco-building sits just on the edge of the village. It is the heart of the 300 hectare NWT reserve, which combines the nature reserves of Cley and Salthouse. Today, Cley and Salthouse Marshes is one of the country’s most popular birdwatching sites. More than 110,000 human visitors pay a visit each year. Many thousands more birds also visit.

The award-winning visitor centre features interactive interpretation and regularly changing exhibitions. It also has a well-stocked gift and book shop. The Simon Aspinall Wildlife Education Centre provides popular events, workshops, performances, guided walks and seasonal festivals.

Something for everyone at Cley

This winter, the Visitor Centre plays host to a number of special events including exhibitions, courses, workshops and discussions.

The breadth of events means there is something for everyone – from guided bird-watching walks to winter yoga. However, one very special four-day programme of events looks at our impact on the environment.

From Thursday 5 December to Sunday 8 December, a series of talks, performances, exhibitions and workshops will be taking place to explore what we should be doing as caretakers of the planet.

Collectively named Footprints, the four days will include a festival of writing, art, photography, music and performance, all inspired by the natural world.

Bring out the film director in you

And there are some very practical aspects to the four day event. Would-be documentary makers will be given handheld cameras and invited to explore and film the wild spaces and wildlife of Cley.

A workshop on composting will help you decrease the amount of waste you throw away and improve the health of your soil and garden at the same time.

A Green Fayre will showcase a range of green and eco-products, while Ramble and Roast allows visitors to take a stroll around the reserve before enjoying a home cooked Sunday lunch.

Reducing our plastic footprint

One highlight of the four-day event is the presence of Will McCallum. Will, who is Head of Oceans at Greenpeace, will lead the Ocean Conservation Walk along the stunning coastline. Later, in ‘A Plastic-free Future’, he will be talking about how we can all reduce the amount of plastic we currently have in our lives. Will has been working with governments and companies to reduce the amount of plastic being used at company and individual level. He will be sharing his tips and tricks for reducing our own plastic footprints.

Saffron Summerfield will provide the musical score. Her sound is created through a imaginative, digital celebration of bird songs and calls. Without giving anything away, it is a real tweet!