Historical St Osyth Priory – Holidays and Wedding Venue

[Ad- gifted experience] Dann and I were invited to the grand opening of St Osyth Priory, which has been renovated, bringing back it’ historic charm. It’s a stunning venue, with a bunch of different aspects to it. During the grand opening, we were able to hear about the renovations, hear from the historian about what has happened in the area, and generally tour the grounds checking out what it currently is and what the future would be.

History behind St Osyth Priory

St Osyth Priory is Grade 1 listed structure, comprising of a three story central gate house, with two-story longing ranges on the left and right f it. This isn’t the first time this area has been restored, its dated back to around 1475, and in the 1720s, Earl of Rochford restored the area, adding his family’s crest to some of the rooms that you can actually stay in. There are stunning carvings of St Michael and the Dragon on the gatehouse, which was built as a symbol of monastic wealth and authority. The flint work in the gatehouse is beautiful, especially in it’s renovation, where it’s very clear that the work kept the history in mind.

St Osyth Priory as a Wedding Venue

St Osyth Priory is a very stunning venue for weddings. They have a large, upper room that works very well for the ceremony, with a giant window showing off to a field of deer in the background. It’s truly stunning. They have a downstairs party area where a good sized bar is as well. The ceiling in the bar area and the wedding area is really detailed as well. In the bar area, there are apples and fruit painted on the ceiling, in the wedding area it’s all stars painted on the ceiling. There is also a very large kitchen attached to the main bar area, perfect for getting food created for a dinner. As a part of their wedding package, you can stay in their bridal suite, which is absolutely massive. There is plenty of room for bridesmaids and brides to get ready, make-up artists to come in, and a few side rooms for a bit more privacy. It’s a very beautiful venue! If weddings aren’t on the cards, they also host events in this part of the venue, which can be perfect for your next family get-together, especially if you are interested in the history of the area.

St Osyth Priory as a Holiday Venue

St Osyth Priory has opened itself up as a holiday venue, looking to target slower holidays which have more of a tie to nature. While there, Dann and I got to tour two of the different types of holiday homes; they have fully stocked apartments complete with large kitchens and dining rooms, as well as more hotel-style rooms that don’t have an attached kitchen but still have plenty of space. These rooms are stunning, well decorated, and all felt very purposeful. One of the first family focused apartment had a bunch of children’s board games in the children’s room. Some of the accommodation options had beautiful back yards, perfect for slow mornings. The whole place just felt very luxurious.

One of the property managers explained that right now, you can harvest honey from bees and feed lamb while staying at St Osyth Priory, but they are adding in new activities like BBQs and Pizza ovens, along with animal-related activities, creating a little oasis that won’t require people staying to leave the property to find activities to enjoy. Even just walking around the property and learning the history could be a whole activity on it’s own.

St Osyth Priory is a beautiful, historical place that has so many different uses. From family holidays to large events, it’s well worth checking out.

You can check out our other Days Out to see what else we’ve been up too!