ABOUT ST OSYTH PRIORY
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OUR ICONIC ESTATE
With more than 1,400 years of myth and legend woven into the landscape, St Osyth Priory Estate is a unique natural habitat of international importance.
a LEGACY OF CULTURE & HISTORY
Steeped in over 1,400 years of culture, history, and legend, St Osyth Priory, a family home for over 20 years, has been lovingly restored to become a dream venue that upholds its rich history.
Nestled in the stunning coastal district of Tendring, just 5 miles from Colchester, our magnificent country estate now offers elegant holiday accommodations, an exquisite wedding venue, and exceptional event space.
OUR HISTORY
THE LEGEND
The legend of St Osyth is a cornerstone of English folklore. According to myth, her miraculous martyrdom earned her sainthood, making St Osyth Priory a place of reverence and pilgrimage. This historic significance brought prosperity to the local area.
After the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th century, St Osyth Priory continued to flourish as a country estate and was visited twice by Queen Elizabeth I during her Royal Progresses.
OUR VISION
THE reimagining
Our vision for St Osyth Priory is to preserve, restore, and protect the estate’s 16 separate Grade I, II*, and II listed buildings, set within a Grade II registered historic park and garden.
The ongoing restoration work, funded through grants and careful planning, aims to secure the estate’s future as an iconic destination. This includes creating a vibrant new community with private new homes, a country pub, a farm shop and exquisite holiday accommodations, enhancing the estate’s historical and ecological value.
OUR GROUNDS
THE NATURAL BEAUTY
St Osyth Priory is not only rich in history but also in natural beauty. The 350-acre estate features stunning parkland, formal gardens, historic lakes, woodland avenues, and ancient reed beds.
Recognised as a Registered Park and Garden County Wildlife Site, it is home to rare breed and native livestock, including the iconic white deer.
Guests can enjoy the diverse habitats and the tranquil beauty of the estate’s natural surroundings.
OUR COMMITMENT
A VIBRANT NEW community
The restoration of St Osyth Priory is a labour of love for the Sargeant Family, who are committed to preserving this historic treasure for future generations.
We are dedicated to engaging with heritage and conservation organisations, achieving planning consents, and sourcing grant funding to ensure the ongoing maintenance and enhancement of the estate.
Alongside the building of private new homes, there will be the improvement of woodland and pasture for rare native breeds and wildlife. Over time, the estate will also become home to a country pub.
Our efforts aim to create a sustainable and thriving community that benefits from the estate’s historical and natural wealth.
oUR PROMISE TO YOU
At St Osyth Priory, we strive to provide a unique destination, steeped in history & luxury, where guests feel at home.
Our bespoke and flexible approach ensures that every event, from weddings to corporate functions, is tailored to meet your vision.
Our personable and friendly team is dedicated to making your experience unforgettable, set against the backdrop of this historic and romantic estate.
A llook bback in time...
A TIMELINE OF A COUNTRY HOUSE ESTATE
1553–1920
1539–1547
The Abbey was dissolved on 28th July 1539, during Henry VIII’s Reformation, and passed first to Thomas Cromwell. After his execution in 1547, it was given to Princess Mary. The Abbey buildings survive to varying degrees of intactness, the most prominent today being the Gatehouse and the Abbot’s Lodging, part of extensive additions made by Abbot Vyntoner in 1527, both reflect the Abbey’s wealth in the late medieval period.
1553
The property was granted by the Crown to Sir Thomas Darcy, subsequently the First Lord Darcy of Chich, for the sum of £3,947. Darcy was responsible for transforming the monastic remains between 1553 and his death in 1558 into a substantial country house.
1561 & 1579
Queen Elizabeth I visited St Osyth Priory twice on her Royal Progress, in July 1561 and again in August 1579.
1639
The property was inherited in 1639 by Elizabeth Darcy (later Countess Rivers), daughter of the Third Lord Darcy. She married Sir Thomas Savage, afterwards Earl Rivers, and the Estate passed down the Rivers line until 1714.
1642
A staunch Catholic and Royalist, Countess Rivers suffered cruel depredations in the Civil War. In 1642, the rabble ransacked her house at St Osyth. All the furnishings were stolen, or destroyed, and the deer in the park carried off. The severely damaged house was allowed to decay and remained uninhabited for the next half century.
1714–1721
The Honourable Richard Savage bequeathed St Osyth to his natural daughter, Bessy, wife of Frederic Nassau de Zuylestein, Third Earl of Rochford. The Third Earl took possession of the Estate in 1721 and is regarded as the creator of the fine house that existed at St Osyth in the 18th Century. Rochford concentrated his building work on the west wing of the Darcy House and added westward onto the old Bishop’s Lodging creating a series of entertaining rooms which continued round to meet the west range of buildings to form a partial quadrangle. There was an oval carriage sweep and lawn to the north of a deep block and wilderness gardens to the west of this on the site of the old Monks’ Cemetery. The extent of the 18th Century work is considerable and included alterations to the Gatehouse which can still be seen today.
1738–1781
William Henry Nassau de Zuylestein, Fourth Earl of Rochford added a two-storey range – the surviving 18th Century House – which linked his father’s new house to the Bishop’s Lodging. A courtier and diplomat, the Fourth Earl ran up huge debts and was forced to sell off parts of the Estate. In 1781 the reduced St Osyth Estate passed to his natural son, Frederic Nassau.
1845–1863
On Frederic Nassau’s death in 1845 the Estate passed to his eldest son, William Frederic Nassau. After his death, the Estate passed to his two daughters, Elizabeth Kirby and Eliza Brandreth who put the property up for auction in 1858. Charles Brandreth, husband of Eliza, purchased St Osyth Priory itself, though not the Estate, for £12,000. He demolished most of the Georgian house in 1859. St Osyth’s Priory was briefly lived in by the Brandreths, though in 1862 it was leased to Hyman Allenby for a year.
1863
The Estate was purchased at auction by Mr (later Sir) John H Johnson, a London corn merchant in 1863 who was responsible for creating the sumptuous apartments. Commencing his own building programme, Sir John Johnson demolished existing buildings behind Abbot Vyntoner’s surviving screen wall and created the sumptuous apartments seen in the Darcy House today. He also extended a range of service accommodation to the east and undertook the conversion of the Monks’ Dorter into a Chapel. The Japanese garden and lily pond together with the topiary and rose gardens within the Darcy walls are all part of the Johnson’s legacy.
1909–1920
Sir Johnson died in 1909 and the Estate was maintained by his adoptive daughter, Lady Cowley, until her death in 1920 when it was then purchased by General Kincaid-Smith.
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