Occupied for over 5000 years
Osea exudes its past through a unique and fascinating character. Throughout history the island has refused to conform, always assuming its own identity, floating privately on the periphery.
Remains from the Neolithic (Stone Age) period have been found on the island, dating back over 5000 years. Stone axes and other tools show evidence that the island began its relationship with humans as a Stone Age farm.
A few thousand years went by, and then along came the Romans, who left behind the greatest mark of any of the historic settlers on Osea, The Causeway. Our main access road was built over 2000 years ago, and has stood the tests of tide and time. The Romans used the island as a salt works, a pottery, and they grew arable crops.
As the Vikings set about on their invasions throughout Europe, Osea was not spared. Osea became a sacred burial ground for the Vikings, becoming the final resting place before nobles and lords took their final journey to Valhalla. The island was retaken by the Saxons in 991 AD during the Battle of Maldon, a famous battle, documented in poems and songs praising the heroism of the Saxons.
After the Battle of Hastings and the Norman conquest of England in 1066, Osea (then called Uvesia) was recorded in the Domesday Book as a farm estate. William the Conqueror gifted the island to his nephew, and this tradition of gifting continued throughout the centuries. The Island was gifted from Aristocrat to Noblemen for almost 900 years.
In 1903 Osea was purchased, for the first time in its history, by a private buyer, Lord Frederick Charrington, a philanthropist from the famous London brewing family. Charrington bought the island after seeing a man drunkenly beat his wife outside a pub bearing his family name. This was an awakening for Charrington, who then decided to dedicate his life to the Temperance movement, purchasing Osea and establishing it as a sobering up facility for the gentry. Charrington built a great deal of infrastructure on the island, even giving the place an exotic twist by importing Wallabies from Australia to live on the island.
Osea is requisitioned by the admiralty for use as a top-secret naval base, denominated S.S. Osea. The base was so secret that even inhabitants of the local area did not know about the base until after the war. With over 1,000 soldiers based on the island, Osea was a base for motor torpedo boats (submarine chasers), taking part in particularly dangerous missions, resulting in some of the soldiers receiving the Victoria cross for their bravery. World War II saw Osea reoccupied by the Navy, and the islands ‘pill boxes’ were constructed. The Island was also hit by a V2 rocket, the remnants of which can still be found on the island.
Cambridge University took ownership of the island, and it was declared a site of special scientific interest, because of its unique ecology, rare plants, birds and marine life. The island is the only place in the UK where every species of native owl can be found, there are 5 species in total.
The Island has been owned privately by Nigel Frieda since 2004, and is now a private island paradise. Available to private hire for events, or individual cottage lets for holidays, Mr. Frieda wants people to be able to enjoy the island as he did when holidaying here as a child.
Tel.: +44 (0) 207 384 6330
enquiries@oseaisland.co.uk