Cley Windmill

'One of Britain's quirkiest, most characterful B&Bs', this five-storey, 19th-century tower mill is set ‘in an idyllic spot’, amid reed beds on the former quayside of the River Glaven. ‘There is a certain romance to staying in a windmill,’ say our inspectors, who signed a waiver to sleep in the Wheel Room, reached via a steep, carpeted ladder, with 'another steep ladder to a shower room, where you can see the old mill machinery in the ceiling’. The 'pleasant but not perfect' room had 'lovely views beyond the windmill sails of the river, village and marshland', which were also on show from the mill's wraparound balcony. Amid the room's slightly tired cottage-style decor was a small four-poster, a wood-effect fire, a mini bar with fresh milk and cookies, and an extra loo behind a screen – 'which lowered the tone a bit' but 'was practical'. There is less hazardous, more modern accommodation in the old storehouses and boathouses, which 'have a bit more New England chic about them'. Breakfast is served in the ‘cute, curved dining room’ and included salmon from Cley’s famous smokehouse. Birdwatchers flock here as well as walkers and summer tourists exploring the Norfolk coast.