Set in an enviable position overlooking expanses of unspoilt salt marsh, Cley is a ‘twitcher’s’ paradise, which the George duly acknowledges by recording ornithological observations in its legendary ‘bird bible’. The interior is rustic-chic with rich colours, bare floorboards, open fires and a relaxed rambling feel, while the kitchen is in tune with the local/seasonal zeitgeist – although it has honest pubby intentions too: Cley-smoked chicken Caesar salad and Gressingham duck breast with raspberry and red wine sauce sit alongside prawn cocktail, fish pie and char-grilled burgers. The small village bar cheerfully dispenses East Anglian ales such as Greene King, Woodforde’s Wherry and Yetman’s, and in warm weather the action moves across the road to the sheltered beer garden. All of the bedrooms have character and views – look for Cley’s famous windmill.