Osea Island
It’s hard to believe that Essex has a resort ‘as chic as the Hamptons’ (as one writer put it), but Osea Island really is in a class of its own… TOWIE it most definitely is not! An idyllic haven basking beside the Blackwater, just a short distance downriver from Maldon, access is via an ancient causeway built by the Romans. This tidal road opens at every low tide for four hours – at high tide a river taxi service operates from the ‘mainland’.
Osea has a fascinating history, its folklore full of scandalous tales, heroic deeds and famous names. Sailors love to anchor just off the beach here for a night or two, but the island itself offers a variety of accommodation. Some of the houses have stood for over 300 years and are consequently a little rickety, but that just adds to their charm – all are full of character, and many have four-poster beds, roll-top baths, antique furnishings and open fires.
On a rainy afternoon the Shack cinema has a huge collection of classic and vintage movies plus an alfresco pizza oven, while for party-people there’s the oyster shed – a seafood shack specialising in freshly shucked Blackwater and West Mersea oysters, sparkling wines and cocktails. Diving deeper into the culinary experience you may want to book a table at The Bomb Factory restaurant to enjoy a tasting menu and wine pairing in the island’s converted WWI torpedo store – 2,000 sailors were once billeted here.
For several years after the war Osea Island was owned by Cambridge University and was a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) due to its rare ecology, plants, birds and marine life.
Surrounded by 550 acres of rustic gardens, orchards, meadows and salt marsh, Osea Island has an eclectic mix of accommodation – charming cottages, apartments and grand houses are available for holidays and family get-togethers, and for those with very deep pockets, exclusive hire of the whole island is also possible.