The Custom House

The Custom House is a house located in Cley Next the Sea, dating from around 1700. It is constructed of pinkish brick with red brick dressings and features a roof that is not visible behind a parapet. The building has an asymmetrical facade facing the street, with three bays, double depth, three storeys, and an attic.

The facade includes two flush sash windows with glazing bars on each floor, featuring 4 x 4 panes on the ground and first floors, and skewback flat arches with a moulded band above. There are blocked openings on the first and second floors. The doorway is situated in the middle bay and is flanked by stone fluted pilasters with capitals that develop into brackets, supporting a flat moulded canopy. The door has eight panels, with the upper four being raised and fielded, and is topped by a scalloped glazed fanlight. Above the door is a rectangular wooden panel with relief carving depicting Cley Mill, the Custom House, and a boat being laden.

The building features an elaborate moulded brick cornice and a rendered stone coped parapet. The brick gable has a shallow pitch and is asymmetrical to the facade, with a small central window. The arches of the second-floor windows have rubbed brick decoration. To the left, there is a passageway under the first bay, with a semi-circular conch head arch that has a rubbed brick keystone.

The facade facing the Quay is symmetrical and rendered to the eaves, with courses of red and gault brick above the gable. This side also has three bays, two storeys, and an attic. It features flush sash windows with glazing bars under segmental heads, with moulded bands above, two each on the ground and first floors, and three on the second floor, along with a small central attic window. The central door has six panels and is flanked by brick pilasters beneath a steep brick pediment, which has rubbed brick decoration on the lintel. Above the passageway arch set back to the right is a relief stone carving of St. George and the Dragon.