File:An ancient site - geograph.org.uk - 980751.jpg

English: An ancient site Still marked as the site of Blakeney Chapel (remains of) on OS maps, nothing remains of the so-called Blakeney Chapel, located in the corner where the Peddars Way/Norfolk Coast Path makes a sharp turn to the west.

The tidal River Glaven extends from the sluices on the A149 coast road > https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/980634 and from there runs parallel to the coast, through the Glaven estuary behind the sand and shingle spit known as Blakeney Spit, before it discharges into the sea at Blakeney Point. Flood defence embankments run adjacent to the channel, which prevents the tidal flooding of adjacent fresh water marshes at Blakeney Freshes and at Cley and Salthouse. Because of the impeding danger of the former channel of the River Glaven being blocked by natural southwards migration of Blakeney Spit, and more recently also because of shingle that had become displaced following storms in 1993 and in 1996, resulting in flooding of the adjacent Blakeney Freshes Special Protection Area and the village of Cley, the Environment Agency decided to cut a new channel to the south of the old one > https://www.geograph.org.uk/submit.php.

Before the cutting of a new channel to realign the course of the River Glaven through the Blakeney Freshes, an archaeological survey was carried out in 2003 - 05 in order to excavate and record what remained of the so-called Blakeney Chapel, an ancient scheduled monument located on a low natural rise within a cattle pasture by Blakeney Spit. Cartographic evidence suggests that a structure has existed at this site from at least 1586; archaeological investigation indicated human activity in the area since neolithic times but it could not be established what purpose the building served - historical evidence for any religious dedication could be not found. The walls of the building were partly re-buried but the ground-plan of the structure was left clearly visible for public inspection for as long as the monument would survive - only a few years later no traces remain. http://www.helm.org.uk/server/show/ConCaseStudy.97