A famous windmill on the Norfolk coast which was owned by the family of James Blunt, the singer, is on sale for £2.65m.
Built around 1819, the five-storey Grade II* listed Cley Windmill sits on the bank of the River Glaven, close to the market town of Holt, and less than half a mile from the North Sea.
The red brick tower is topped by a white-painted timber cap, sails and fantail, with balconies and a gallery at the top offering unencumbered views across salt marshes of the north Norfolk coast.
Cley Windmill has been converted into a wedding venue and guest house, with a total of 10 bedrooms in the tower and in outbuildings. The tower features exposed beams and original brick fireplaces.
The building was a working mill until the 1920s, when it was bought by Sarah Maria Wilson for £350 and converted into a holiday home. She had the cap and sails of the windmill fixed, but removed most of the structure’s other working parts.
In 1934, it was inherited by her grandson, Lt Col Herbert Blount, a deputy lieutenant of Norfolk, before it was flooded in 1953 by the North Sea flood. Grants from Norfolk county council and the Pilgrim Trust funded the restoration of the windmill’s sails.
When Lt Col Blount died in 1979, the mill was inherited again, by Mr Blunt’s father, Col Charles Blount.
By the mid-1980s, it had been renovated into a guesthouse, and the family ran it as such until May 2006, when it was advertised for sale.
In an interview with the BBC in 2005, Mr Blunt – who dropped the “o” from his surname because he thought it would be easier for fans to pronounce – said he spent much of his childhood at the windmill.
He added: “It’s a really beautiful old building and Norfolk as a place is a stunning county.
“Locals have been really supportive about helping to contribute to renovations. It’s part of history and it’s really great to be part of it.”
In 2011, rock legend Rick Wakeman, known for his work with Yes and artists including David Bowie, Cat Stevens and Elton John, held his fourth wedding to Rachel Kaufman at the windmill.
In 2021, the property was bought by Natalie and Varian Bush for around £3m, with the couple describing it at the time as a “project for life”.