Blakeney Chapel, Medieval ruins in Cley Next the Sea, England.
Blakeney Chapel is a rectangular ruin on elevated marshland near the Norfolk coast in England. The structure shows two rooms of different sizes with partially preserved foundations and wall remnants, now protected as a scheduled monument.
The building first appeared on a 1586 map used in legal disputes over wreck and salvage rights along the Norfolk coast. The site was later registered as a protected monument and investigated through archaeological excavations between 1998 and 2005.
The place was linked to distant trade networks, as pottery from the 14th to 16th centuries reveals. This evidence shows that Cley Next the Sea served as a hub for goods moving along the coast.
The ruin sits about 200 meters from the sea near the River Glaven channel on the coast. Visitors should dress for changeable coastal weather and prepare for potentially wet conditions, as the site occupies damp marshland.
Despite its name, the building may not have served religious purposes but rather worked as a craft space. Archaeological findings reveal a hearth suggesting iron smelting, completely changing the original understanding of the site.
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