The Glaven Valley Benefice St Margaret's, Cley
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The Exterior

On the south-west buttress of the south transept is a scratch dial which was used to indicate to the priest, before the days of clocks, the correct time of the frequent services.

Accounts of Archdeacons' visitations over the years show that the transept roofs deteriorated from about 1550.

Notice the remaining stone crosses and the two generic monkey figures forming the pinnacles of the south-east and south-west corners of the south aisle.

There are some gargoyles on the north clerestory and the south aisle (three on each). These are not there in old prints and are probably those found stored under the tower in 1893 and perhaps placed in their present positions in 1901, the date on the rainwater heads. The gargoyles seem to be fourteenth century work. Apart from taking rainwater from the roof of the church the main purpose of the gargoyles was to frighten away evil spirits from the graveyard, which explains the very often hideous forms which they can take. The crenellated north clerestory parapet is probably fifteenth century and has flint proudwork, similar to the commoner flushwork, but where the knapped flints are recessed and the stonework stands proud of them.

The altar tomb beneath the beautiful tracery of the south transept window is to Richard Greve, mentioned in Pepys's Diary. He was second in command to Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovel, himself a Cley landowner, born at Cockthorpe, in burning 'ye ships in ye port of Tripoly in Barbery'.

There are headstones worthy of inspection many of them belonging to the early years of the 18th century and ornamented with bones, skulls, winged hour-glasses, archangels and other conventional motifs.