St Osyth
Encyclopedia
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St Osyth is a village and civil parish in northeast Essex
. It is about 5 miles (8 km) west of Clacton-on-Sea
, and about 12 miles (19.3 km) southeast of Colchester
. It is located on the B1027 road and is named after Osyth
, a saint and Anglia
n princess. The Essex dialect
pronunciation is 'Toosey', which is still in use locally for the name of the village.
The village has a bus service with services to Colchester and Clacton. The nearest rail station can be found at Great Bentley
, approximately 4 miles away.
St Osyth was the subject of an episode of Channel 4
's Time Team
programme, "Lost Centuries of St Osyth", (series 12 episode 9, first broadcast in February 2005). This programme sought to uncover the early origins of the village, which was presumed to have grown up at around the same time as the Priory, in the twelfth century. Many of the investigations around the current village centre found little evidence of settlement earlier than the fourteenth century; it appeared that the early village centre lay some way off, between the Priory and the river.
The village was a focus for witch persecutions
in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries with a total of ten local women being hanged as a result. In 1921 the skeletons of 2 women were discovered in the garden of a house in the village. One was claimed to be the witch Ursley Kempe who was the first to be prosecuted. The skeletons became a local tourist attraction.
Although a significant part of the parish boundary is coast which does not need to be "beaten", St Osyth is one parish which maintains the tradition of beating the bounds
on Rogation days
. http://www.stosyth.gov.uk/default.asp?calltype=may04beatingbounds
. It first appears on .
, a Grade I listed building.
The village church is dedicated to St Peter
and St Paul
.
The Martello tower
at Point Clear has been converted into a war museum.
St Osyth's Priory was once the home of a herd of polled White Park
cattle, until an outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease in 1951 which led to their slaughter.
"At St Osyth Priory, where an outbreak occurred last week, there was one of the few remaining herds of white Park cattle, one of the oldest breeds in this country. That has now been slaughtered, together with the small dairy herd and the stock of pigs. The farm is attached to the convalescent home maintained at the Priory by the Shepherds Friendly Society
."
The land within the Priory boundaries is shown as a Deer Park on the Ordnance Survey
map.
Another landmark is Mill Dam Lake. This lake is filled and emptied from St.Osyth Creek. Photos showing this can be seen in the gallery.
The lake is used for water skiing.
) & Hutleys. The holiday parks boost the local population in the summer months by an estimated 7,000 people.
St Osyth Beach and adjoining Jaywick
were the scene of fatalities during "The Great Flood" of 1953
, N-Dubz
, The Drifters
, Ricky Tomlinson
, Kevin Bloody Wilson
and The Stylistics
.
The St. Osyth Social Club in Church Square is home to League Darts teams, St. Osyth Social, The Priorymen and S. O. S. C. Ladies.
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St Osyth is a village and civil parish in northeast Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
. It is about 5 miles (8 km) west of Clacton-on-Sea
Clacton-on-Sea
Clacton-on-Sea is the largest town on the Tendring peninsula, in Essex, England and was founded in 1871. It is a seaside resort that attracted many tourists in the summer months between the 1950s and 1970s, but which like many other British sea-side resorts went into decline as a holiday...
, and about 12 miles (19.3 km) southeast of Colchester
Colchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
. It is located on the B1027 road and is named after Osyth
Osyth
Osgyth was an English saint. She is primarily commemorated in the village of Saint Osyth, Essex, near Colchester...
, a saint and Anglia
Anglia
Anglia may refer to:* The mediaeval, late Latin, Hungarian and Polish name for England* A name for the eastern part of England, more commonly, and more accurately, known as East Anglia* Kingdom of East Anglia, one of the kingdoms of the Heptarchy...
n princess. The Essex dialect
Essex dialect
The Essex dialect is rapidly disappearing variation of East Anglian English and is now mainly confined to the middle, north and the east of Essex. It shares vast similarities with both Suffolk and Norfolk dialects, with its own peculiarities...
pronunciation is 'Toosey', which is still in use locally for the name of the village.
The village has a bus service with services to Colchester and Clacton. The nearest rail station can be found at Great Bentley
Great Bentley railway station
Great Bentley railway station is a staffed railway station serving Great Bentley in Essex, England. The station is located north east of London Liverpool Street on the Sunshine Coast Line, a branch of the Great Eastern Main Line. The station is located at street level on Station Road in the...
, approximately 4 miles away.
History
Before being renamed to commemorate Saint Osyth, the village was called Chich (alternative spellings include Chiche and Chick).St Osyth was the subject of an episode of Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's Time Team
Time Team
Time Team is a British television series which has been aired on Channel 4 since 1994. Created by television producer Tim Taylor and presented by actor Tony Robinson, each episode features a team of specialists carrying out an archaeological dig over a period of three days, with Robinson explaining...
programme, "Lost Centuries of St Osyth", (series 12 episode 9, first broadcast in February 2005). This programme sought to uncover the early origins of the village, which was presumed to have grown up at around the same time as the Priory, in the twelfth century. Many of the investigations around the current village centre found little evidence of settlement earlier than the fourteenth century; it appeared that the early village centre lay some way off, between the Priory and the river.
The village was a focus for witch persecutions
St Osyth Witches
The St Osyth Witches is a common reference to the accusations of witchcraft surrounding Essex in 1582. A village near Brightlingsea in Essex, St Osyth was home to fourteen women who were put on trial for witchcraft...
in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries with a total of ten local women being hanged as a result. In 1921 the skeletons of 2 women were discovered in the garden of a house in the village. One was claimed to be the witch Ursley Kempe who was the first to be prosecuted. The skeletons became a local tourist attraction.
Geography
In terms of annual average rainfall, St Osyth is the driest recorded place in the UK, with an average of just 513 mm per year.Although a significant part of the parish boundary is coast which does not need to be "beaten", St Osyth is one parish which maintains the tradition of beating the bounds
Beating the bounds
Beating the bounds is an ancient custom still observed in some English and Welsh parishes. A group of old and young members of the community would walk the boundaries of the parish, usually led by the parish priest and church officials, to share the knowledge of where they lay, and to pray for...
on Rogation days
Rogation days
Rogation days are, in the calendar of the Western Church, four days traditionally set apart for solemn processions to invoke God's mercy. They are April 25, the Major Rogation, coinciding with St...
. http://www.stosyth.gov.uk/default.asp?calltype=may04beatingbounds
Point Clear
Point Clear is a separate village within the parish, located at southwest of St Osyth and on the other side of St Osyth Creek, a branch of the Colne EstuaryRiver Colne, Essex
The River Colne is a small river that runs through Colchester, England. It is not a tributary of any other river, instead having an estuary that joins the sea near Brightlingsea.-Source:...
. It first appears on .
Legend of Saint Osyth
Legend has it that Saint Osyth (or Ositha) was a young lady who was involved in various fantastical events during her lifetime. Tales include:- A young Osyth drowned in a stream, but was revived by nuns from the local convent praying for her for three days.
- St Osyth was executed by beheading; where she fell a spring issued forth from the ground; she picked up her head and walked to the door of the nunnery where she knocked three times on the door before collapsing.
- To this day, Osyth's ghost walks along the priory walls carrying her head one night each year.
Landmarks
The most notable building in the village is undoubtedly its medieval abbeySt. Osyth's Abbey
St. Osyth's Abbey was a house of Augustinian canons in the parish of St. Osyth, Chich, in Essex, England. Founded by the Richard de Belmeis, Bishop of London, circa 1121, it became one of the largest monasteries in Essex and was dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul as well as St. Osyth. Bishop...
, a Grade I listed building.
The village church is dedicated to St Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
and St Paul
Paul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
.
The Martello tower
Martello tower
Martello towers are small defensive forts built in several countries of the British Empire during the 19th century, from the time of the Napoleonic Wars onwards....
at Point Clear has been converted into a war museum.
St Osyth's Priory was once the home of a herd of polled White Park
White Park
The White Park is a rare breed of horned cattle with ancient herds preserved in Great Britain.-Description:...
cattle, until an outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease in 1951 which led to their slaughter.
"At St Osyth Priory, where an outbreak occurred last week, there was one of the few remaining herds of white Park cattle, one of the oldest breeds in this country. That has now been slaughtered, together with the small dairy herd and the stock of pigs. The farm is attached to the convalescent home maintained at the Priory by the Shepherds Friendly Society
Shepherds Friendly Society
Shepherds Friendly Society is a UK friendly society and one of the oldest mutual insurers in the world.It an incorporated society in the United Kingdom within the meaning of the Friendly Societies Act 1992. It has 25,000 members.-History:...
."
The land within the Priory boundaries is shown as a Deer Park on the Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
map.
Another landmark is Mill Dam Lake. This lake is filled and emptied from St.Osyth Creek. Photos showing this can be seen in the gallery.
The lake is used for water skiing.
St Osyth Beach
The neighbouring settlement of St Osyth Beach contains Essex's largest concentration of static caravan parks, including Seawick, St Osyth Beach (owned by Park Holidays UKPark Holidays UK
Park Holidays UK operate 25 holiday parks in the south of England, with more sites than any other Holiday Park operator along the South Coast. All of the parks have been graded by VisitBritain quality in Tourism, and have achieved ratings of up to 4 stars...
) & Hutleys. The holiday parks boost the local population in the summer months by an estimated 7,000 people.
St Osyth Beach and adjoining Jaywick
Jaywick
Jaywick is a small seaside village near Clacton-on-Sea, in Essex on the North Sea coast of England. It was originally intended as a holiday resort for Londoners. Many of the houses were poorly constructed and were only intended for short-term holiday use. As time has passed, more and more people...
were the scene of fatalities during "The Great Flood" of 1953
North Sea flood of 1953
The 1953 North Sea flood was a major flood caused by a heavy storm, that occurred on the night of Saturday 31 January 1953 and morning of 1 February 1953. The floods struck the Netherlands, Belgium, England and Scotland.A combination of a high spring tide and a severe European windstorm caused a...
Entertainment
The Venue is an entertainment venue that opened in St. Osyth in early 2009. In its opening year it played host to the SugababesSugababes
The Sugababes are an English pop girl group based in London, consisting of members Heidi Range, Amelle Berrabah and Jade Ewen. The Sugababes were formed in 1998 with founding members Siobhán Donaghy, Mutya Buena and Keisha Buchanan. Their debut album, One Touch, was released in 2000 under London...
, N-Dubz
N-Dubz
N-Dubz are a British hip hop group from Camden Town, London. The group consists of members Dappy, Tulisa Contostavlos and Fazer.N-Dubz were previously signed to Polydor Records before joining All Around the World Records...
, The Drifters
The Drifters
The Drifters are a long-lived American doo-wop and R&B/soul vocal group with a peak in popularity from 1953 to 1963, though several splinter Drifters continue to perform today. They were originally formed to serve as Clyde McPhatter's backing group in 1953...
, Ricky Tomlinson
Ricky Tomlinson
Eric Tomlinson , known by his stage name Ricky Tomlinson, is an English actor and comedian, best known for his roles as Bobby Grant in Brookside, DCI Charlie Wise in Cracker and James "Jim" Royle in The Royle Family....
, Kevin Bloody Wilson
Kevin Bloody Wilson
Kevin Bloody Wilson is a comedy singer/songwriter who uses his heavy Australian accent/style with great success...
and The Stylistics
The Stylistics
The Stylistics are a soul music vocal group, and were one of the best-known Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s. They formed in 1968, and were composed of lead Russell Thompkins, Jr., Herbie Murrell, Airrion Love, James Smith, and James Dunn. All of their US hits were ballads, graced by the...
.
The St. Osyth Social Club in Church Square is home to League Darts teams, St. Osyth Social, The Priorymen and S. O. S. C. Ladies.