Colchester Archaeological Trust

CAT Report 1905: summary

Historic building recording of Shell House, St Osyth’s Priory Park, St Osyth, Essex, CO16 8GW
by Sarah Veasey

Date report completed: April 2023
Location: Shell House, St Osyth’s Priory Park, St Osyth, Essex, CO16 8GW
Map reference(s): TM 11906 16163
File size: 10890KB kb
Project type: Historic Building Recording
Significance of the results:
Keywords: HBR,

Summary. A programme of historic building recording was carried out by Colchester Archaeological Trust at Shell House in St Osyth’s Priory Park, St Osyth, Essex. Shell House is an 18th century folly built in St Osyth’s Priory Park, likely by William Henry the fourth Earl of Rochford. It is constructed from brick and faced with alternating bands of knapped flint and slag. While follies are a common Georgian landscape garden feature, the use of slag on the façade is somewhat unusual. The interior of Shell House was lined with shells, some of which are still surviving, and the floor was constructed from knapped flint and floor bricks. None of the roof survives but historic photographs show that it was thatched.