Osea Island

Osea Island lies in the Blackwater estuary near Heybridge, Essex. It is a small inhabited island of about 150 hectares, joined to the mainland by a causeway that disappears under water at high tide. The island has been home to painters, photographers and philosophers, and today belongs to music producer Nigel Frieda. Archaeologists have found traces of Neolithic settlers and Roman potters who worked near the tidal causeway. The Domesday Book of 1086 recorded the island as Uvesia, held first by Thorbert and later by William the Conqueror’s nephew. The island’s past includes Viking raids, royal grants and a seaplane test in 1913 flown by John Cyril Porte. During the First World War it served as a base for 2,000 sailors and the Victoria Cross was won there by Augustus Agar. Later it housed a rehabilitation clinic where Amy Winehouse stayed and a recording studio used by Rihanna. Films such as The Woman in Black and television series like The Third Day have been shot on location. Visitors walk the causeway when the tide is low and explore the island’s quiet lanes and shoreline. The old manor house and the recording studio remain, while the surrounding marshes attract wading birds. The island’s history is visible in scattered archaeological remains and military structures from the early 20th century.