It could be said if 14 Colchester Road were truly St Osyths’ medieval lock-up, it would be reasonable to expect it to appear amongst the extensive photographic record of the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. It does not.
The fact that ‘The Cage’, such an historic and rare surviving remnant of the 1582 Witch Trials of St Osyth, escaped the attention of the Victorian Photographers from the golden age of photography is questionable at the very least.
Certainly, there are many historic photographs of St Osyth available, of the shore, the village centre, the Church, the Priory – even the Priory boundary wall running alongside Colchester Road, opposite ‘The Cage’ features strongly. However, not one of ‘The Cage’ exists, apart from a couple of black and white prints from the 1970’s, which I suspect to be part of a planning application for the upper storey construction that we see today.
For the record, although I will refer to the property block as No.14 throughout this (and previous articles) for ease, the property block containing number 16 and 14 was originally just No 16. At some point over the past century, the southern part of the property was split and became No 14. I just thought it useful to include this information.
A complete absence of photographic evidence.
By the late 1800s / early 1900s, photography and postcard production had become widespread across villages such as St Osyth to an almost obsessive level, especially for one so close to the Victorian sea side resorts of Brightlingsea and Clacton.
Subjects of antiquarian interest, especially old buildings, punishment sites and locations associated with local traditions, were frequently recorded, a desired target of these photographers if you like.
In this context, for a structure believed to be a surviving medieval lock-up, 400 years plus old, connected to one of the earliest Witch Trials in England, it would be reasonable to expect the structure to attract attention.
Yet the photographic record available for St Osyth focuses upon everything else other than its medieval lock-up, without any clear indication that the property at 14 Colchester Road was singled out or even treated as a site of particular historical importance in the past.
While absence of evidence cannot be taken as proof, this complete lack of early photographic interest suggests the building was not, at that time, recognised as a structure of unusual antiquity or significance, despite the now infamous sign affixed to the side of the property that it was in use right up until 1908.
At a time when photographers actively sought out and recorded historical buildings, no known photograph has yet been identified showing 14 Colchester Road as a site of antiquarian interest.
This absence is notable.
A Breakthrough
Occasionally, I still undertake the occasional search for any historical photographs of 14 Colchester Road, amongst other research subjects, on the off-chance I would eventually stumble across one.
Then, during a routine search of an online postcard archive, an unexpected image appeared. It was a postcard of some now demolished cottages that once existed on Colchester Road. Looking closely, I couldn’t help but notice the photographer had also kindly included a slim view of what could be found on the opposite side of the road.
Intrigued, I zoomed in to allow an even closer inspection. Things looked decidedly familiar and after some cross checking, I had no doubt, finally it became clear that the scene had inadvertently captured an historic view of The Cage and, its ‘twin’ at 20 Colchester Road.
Unfortunately, there was no publication date shown, which was disappointing and so far, I’ve been unable to establish even an approximate date. However, through extending my research I was at least able to establish a small possible publication window likely to be around two years.
Shurey’s Publications
The firm that produced the postcard was a London-based mass market publisher, who were active primarily in the late Victorian and Edwardian era (from around 1899 to the 1920s). They were best known for cheap, popular fiction magazines and illustrated weeklies. More importantly, for my research, was their use of free postcard inserts as a marketing device, of which the postcard I’d identified had been part of.
The postcard was not standalone retail stock. With the line on the reverse stating “Great Prize Competition – March Winds” clearly indicates it was inserted into a specific issue window, tied to a competition.
I learnt that whilst Shurey’s printed the magazines, the postcards themselves were outsourced, this particular postcard being produced by Delittle Fenwick and Co., of York. I found that Delittle Fenwick themselves were active in Shurey’s postcard production for a ten year period, 1895 to 1905.
The undivided format used on the reverse of the postcard (shown above) provides further clues. This was a pre-1902 format in origin which was still commonly used by some publishers until around 1904.
This combination puts the postcard squarely in an early Edwardian window with a likely production date around 1902 to 1904, meaning at the very latest, the source photograph was taken in 1904 or more likely, a year or two earlier.
“A picture is worth a thousand words…….”
Returning to the postcard itself, what can we see?
At face value, we have a colourised B&W Photograph looking northwards along Colchester Road, St Osyth. This is further confirmed (as if you haven’t already noticed) by the text at the foot of the postcard.
On the left side of the image, we can see two terraced cottages, with upper floors. The northernmost cottage is adjoined by a single storey property. To the left of the nearest cottage, the boundary wall of St Osyth Priory can be seen, partially obscured by shrubbery.
This is the South East corner of the Priory’s boundary wall.
These are the buildings that I’ve referred to as ‘outbuildings adjoining the Priory’s boundary wall in the past, in the absence of certainty as to what these structures were
Unfortunately, these buildings no longer exist but, I understand they stood until around the 1950s, before they were demolished. A witness has made themselves known and advised that their Grandparents lived in the end Cottage, which they described as rudimentary and still lit by oil lamps, which I can only assume hastened their demise.
Turning our attention to the middle distance, we can just make out what is now the property block containing no. 32 (with the window) and, the larger property block containing no. 38 behind this.
Both property blocks protrude more into Colchester Road and are older than the preceding properties leading to them, something I shall return to a little later.
Switching to the right side of the postcard, in the foreground, the property closest to the right edge is no. 14 (the modern ‘Cage’), with no.20 property block immediately behind / next to it.
As discussed in my previous articles, both property blocks contain a single storey structure, typically a scullery, wash house or a coal store, to the southern side of the respective properties. A domestic service annex, if you like.
Upon closer inspection, it’s so worth noting the brick course on the property we can see fully (no.14) and the single storey structure extension appear aligned (the modern ‘Cage’), as far as I can tell from the photograph record. They also appear bonded to each other and, are of the same type. We already know these annexes (for 14 and 20 respectively) are also aligned symmetrically to the main building block.
Whilst I have great admiration for the skills and ingenuity of builders, it is almost impossible to achieve perfect course alignment and symmetry when attaching a later structure to an earlier one, especially historically, which strongly indicates that the main property block and the end structure (commonly referred to as ‘The Cage’) were constructed together, as one build.
In simple terms, it almost certainly indicates it’s an original end building of the property block or, more correctly, a terrace.
We also must not forget we have a mirrored property with the block that contains no. 20, immediately behind no. 14. This is extremely important in the scheme of things, as it indicates intentional symmetry. Victorian terraces were often designed in paired blocks, each with a small end projection, as we can see here, on Colchester Road.
This further reinforces that the cage like visual appearance of the end structure is, in fact, a domestic service annex.
I will also reference this postcard later on in the article, when I discuss to the revised placement of the medieval lock-up, as if the adjusted placement was correct, it should have been visible in the postcard, which it was not, which means the lock-up had been demolished by time the photograph had been taken, circa 1902 / 1904. Once again, the accuracy of the signage affixed to the side of the annexe into question (….last used in 1908) is brought into question.
Another piece in the jigsaw.
Yet the discovery and identification of the postcard also provides another opportunity to re-examine the maps I’ve collected, in particular the 1816 Estate Plan.
1816 and all that.
Our previous articles emphasised the importance of the 1816 Estate Plan, its’ comparative accuracy in relation to Ordnance Survey (O/S) Mapping and, providing the ability to help us physically locate St Osyths’ Medieval lock-up in the modern environment.
Nevertheless, although the most accurate historical mapping survey prior to the O/S surveys, it was noted that it still only facilitated an approximate position for the location of the lock-up, something that sat uncomfortably with us
Part of the challenge previously was that buildings had been demolished, new properties built and properties extended, as with No.14 itself. This inevitably caused a lot of ‘noise’ when attempting to re-scale and overlay the 1816 Plan on a modern Satellite image, with the risk of features being misappropriated and compromises made, that made an accurate placement an almost impossible task.
However, with the identification of the postcard, we now had another marker, a fixed point that would assist in identifying the true position of the medieval lock-up, via triangulation, with more certainty.
Is it possible to identify the location of the demolished row of cottages today?
The first challenge was to investigate if we could find the location of the cottages today. Today, all we can see is a continuous boundary wall of the Priory, along the western side of Colchester Road, but did the brick work hold any clues that could assist us?
Fortunately, the answer was a most definitive ‘Yes’. Fortunately, later repairs to the wall in the area where the cottages had stood have left visible changes in the brickwork that can still be identified today.
Consulting a well known brand of satellite mapping imagery, I examined the Priory boundary wall. Already knowing that the southern-most end of the row of cottages was at the corner of the boundary wall, where the North / South and East / West walls met, this would be the starting point and, sure enough, as can be seen in the left image above, the break in the structure of the wall is clearly visible.
We now have our starting point for the Cottages.
The northern most point of the cottages (or rather the single storey structure adjoining them) is a little more convoluted, as by consulting the postcard, we can see there is a little side courtyard, triangular in shape, which requires the wall adjoining the single storied property wall to rejoin the main wall at an angle, a cut-in if you like.
Returning to the satellite mapping, I found that we can also clearly identify where this part of the cottages’ wall rejoined the main wall, visible in the right image above.
So far, so good.
Further observations relating to the position of the demolished cottages
Having identified the position of the former cottages, what else could we ascertain from this new information?
Starting with the northern end of the plot, we’ve already recognised that the single storey property itself didn’t actually extend to the edge of the wall break, but a short distance before.
By utilising the magic of street view, I was able to identify that the visible change in the brickwork occurred opposite the front door of No.20, allowing me to estimate the single story property (demolished) actually ended directly opposite where the annexe structure of the No. 20 property block began.
Turning to the southern end of the demolished cottages, it soon became evident that the lower cottage ended directly opposite where the No. 14 annexe (The Cage) commenced.
Accident or design? I really don’t have a clue at this point.
There is no land boundary I can find at either point, both block 14 and 20 falling within land parcel 270 on the 1816 Plan (had they been constructed by this point), but it’s obviously tempting to hypothesis the demolished row of cottages were used as useful reference points when constructing these later properties opposite.
Armed with this information, it finally allowed me to place a representation of the demolished cottages of Colchester Road on the satellite image shown below.
A further reveal from the 1816 Estate Plan
Whilst locating the location of the demolished cottages in the modern environment, this also made something abundantly clear – the property blocks housing nos. 14 and 20 did not exist when the survey was made to produce the 1816 Estate Plan. The survey undertaken to produce the 1816 Plan actually took place in 1814, two years earlier. For those wishing to undertake their own research, the 1816 Estate Plan is sometimes also referred to as the (Frederick) Nassau Map, who commissioned the survey.
With the position of the demolished row of cottages now correctly identified, we can see clearly that other than the lock-up, there are no buildings directly opposite on the 1816 Plan, showing that these two properties (and annexes) were not constructed until after 1814, at the very earliest.
As these modern buildings were present on the 1895 OS Map (and representations on the 1874 O/S Survey), this provides a construction window of 1814 to 1874 for properties 14 and 20 Colchester Road, a window of 60 years. I hope that further research will soon narrow this window further.
A re-evaluation of the 1816 Overlay used in our first article
(Please refer to our first article here)
This revelation clearly means I had to re-evaluate the situation, particularly with the 1816 Plan overlay I created and published in the first article.
In creating the overlay, having no real reference point other than the Kings Head Public House, I made the assumption that the two property blocks shown on the Plan were, as it turns out incorrectly, the No 14 and 20 property block. My decision at the time being partly supported by the wider construction window I had for Nos. 14 and 20 I’d arrived at, based upon the property designs and construction materials present.
Now, armed with more precise information, it was clear that the two property blocks on the East side of Colchester Road shown on the Plan were actually further North than was first evident.
In my discussions above relating to the research behind the postcard, I highlighted properties 32 and 38 Colchester Road – not without good reason, for it is these properties that are the two northern placed properties on the 1816 Plan. The construction dates of these properties were documented in a 2010 Essex Design Initiative (1).
It confirmed that both these properties were constructed in the 18th and 15th Centuries respectively (1500 and 1700s), which confirmed they were present on the plan, whilst all the other buildings between them and 14 Colchester Road were of a later build. This shows the only surviving late medieval structure along this stretch of the road lies further to the North.
The same paper also confirmed that the property blocks of No. 14 and 20 were constructed sometime in the 19th Century, which corresponds with the photographic evidence from the 1902/ 04 postcard and absence from the 1816 Plan.
This paper reflects a gradual development of the roadway over time and provides no evidence of a surviving medieval lock-up at the site of the present buildings.
I will discuss this document in greater detail in a later article discussing the original medieval layout of St Osyth.
We now had definitive locations, providing four reference points that still exist today and, were also present on the 1816 Estate Plan at three cardinal points in relation to the medieval lock-up shown on the plan – two to the North, a set to the West and one to the South.
This finally offered an opportunity to use triangulation, by alignment of fixed, known, reference points, which will allow us to place the medieval lock-up more accurately.
Re-Evaluating the approximate position of the Lock-Up (2)
Using the modern satellite image I’d created with the row of demolished cottages marked, I first drew a line from the southern edge of the demolished cottages and continuing eastward to No. 14 Colchester Road, where the annexe and the main property joined.
Next, I drew a line from the North West Corner of the Kings’ Head, to the West side of properties 32 and 28, further to the north, which were present on the 1816 Estate Plan and I found aligned perfectly North /South in the alignment with the King’s Head.
Finally, I then drew a diagonal line following the northern side of ‘Coffin Alley’, extending it to the South West, which then formed a right sided triangle over the annexe (The Cage).
From this exercise I noted that it was clear the top part of the medieval lock-up was further North than the southernmost edge of the demolished cottages and where the annexe (Cage) joined the main structure of No. 14. It was now apparent that the top part of the medieval lock-up was adjacent to the southern part of No. 14s’ living room, with the lower half being adjacent to the northern part of the annexe (The Cage).
If true, this would be an interesting development.
I then set about replicating the exercise on the 1816 Estate Plan, which confirmed the West / East line did indeed intersect the medieval lock-up, as I’d thought. The triangulated 1816 Estate Plan is shown below.
I then carefully adjusted the scale of both modified, triangulated images so that they were the same and, taking measurements with relation to the placement of the medieval lock-up, I transferred this to the modern Satellite image.
As suspected, the position of the medieval lock-up required adjustment from where, based upon the information I had available at the time, I estimated the approximate position of the lock-up.
Based on the new information and, the Triangulation exercise above, the new position was indeed adjacent to No. 14, in the road itself, with the top quarter of the lock-up directly opposite the living room, whist the lower part of the structure, directly opposite the annexe (The Cage).
With fresh information, minor positional variation was expected
The strong North/ South position and width of Colchester Road meant the medieval lock-up had maintained its ‘X’ Axis (East / West) position, as this effectively ‘locked’ the map laterally with the only adjustment necessary laying along the ‘Y’ Axis (North / South).
Overlaying the 1816 Estate Plan on a contemporary Satellite Photograph.
For consistency, I looked to create new 1816 overlay on the modern satellite view. However, unfortunately, with more reference points on the 1816 Plan correctly identified, it proved impossible to produce an updated overlay as I had done in the first articles.
The core issue was that the 1816 Plan was an estate map, not a modern survey, designed for landholding and valuation. Whilst it was drawn with localised accuracy, it was not globally consistent.
This meant that whilst distances may be roughly correct it one area, they will drift in another.
With a higher number of reference points identified, it was now impossible to align every single point perfectly (or even closely). If I aligned three points, then adjusted the overlay to align with a fourth point, one or more of the earlier reference points went out of alignment. If I favoured to prioritise certain points over others, there would be a danger of forcing a bias towards a certain conclusion, positive or negative.
Effectively I’d found a real example of rubber sheet distortion.
On this basis, I felt unable to construct an overlay, as it would serve no real purpose from a research perspective.
One small step for a postcard, one giant step to establishing a timeline.
When I look back at my research sometimes, it never ceases to amaze me that one small development results in major progress. And so it is the case with the Shurey Postcard.
A single postcard has enabled us to identify missing buildings, show that buildings that were claimed to be in use in 1908 didn’t exist four years earlier, allowed a refinement to the approximate position of a lost medieval lock-up thought to be central to the 1582 Witch Trials (although there’s no documented evidence has come to light so far) and, tighten the proposed timeline for this small area of St Osyth.
Furthermore, it has finally allowed me to reveal a 2010 document, produced by members of Essex County Council’s Historic Buildings and Conservations Team, that identifies 14 (and 20) Colchester Road, the terrible twins, as being constructed in the 19th Century.
It allows us to recognise the true physical landscape of medieval St Osyth at the time of the 1582 Witch Trials and hopefully become a platform for further research into this fascinating, yet sadly traumatic period of history in an isolated, remote part of Essex.
In our next article, we’ll seek to place the lock-up in the landscape of 400 years ago against the wider backdrop of St Osyth.
Until then, we will leave you with this proposed timeline, based upon the research undertaken so far:
St Osyth Timeline:
1582 Witch Trials
1814 Survey for the Nassau Estate Plan Undertaken.
1816 Estate Plan Published, showing an isolated, small structure, in the middle of a communal space in what is now Colchester Road. Plan also confirms the modern Nos. 14 and 20 Colchester Road had not been constructed by this date.
1840 St Osyth Tithe Map Published, based entirely on the 1816 Estate Plan with no new survey undertaken. Position of lock-up obscured by the printing of the Land Plot Number. Nos. 14 and 20 Colchester Road still not shown
1875 First Ordnance Survey Map including St Osyth published, with no lock-up shown but, Nos. 14 and 20 Colchester Road appears for the first time, providing a construction window of 1814 to 1875 for these two properties
1896 New, improved Ordnance Survey Map published, showing the form of the annexe to No. 14 for the first time
c.1902 / 04 Shurey Publishing includes a postcard showing a colourised photographic view of Colchester Road in one of its’ magazines, taken at some point in the previous four years, providing a view of a now demolished row of cottages on the West side of the road, built into the boundary wall of the Priory and, as of yet, the oldest view of 14 and 20 Colchester Road, with annexes, but no view of the medieval lock-up which should have been visible based upon the adjusted position and the claim it was used up until 1908
1970s Photographs still show single storey annexe to 14 Colchester Road
Late 1970s Signage appears claiming annexe at the medieval lock-up that held Ursula Kempe in 1582
2000s Media / Commercial Framing expands the signage ‘story’.
The next article in the series will discuss the general landscape of St Osyth and, how it developed since the 14th Century, from its’ medieval core, to the conservation efforts we see taking place today.
Links to our previous articles:
Revealing the true site of St Osyths’ medieval lock-up
A further insight into our research relating to the lock-up
References:
(1) The Essex Design Initiative – St Osyth Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan – 2010
(2) Triangulation has been undertaken using the March 2023 satellite imagery. I chose this particular view upon which to base the analysis, as it provides the clearest visible definition of the Priory wall line, thus making it the most appropriate source for alignment purposes in this context.
Later satellite imagery (as at April 2026), provides an obscured view of the wall, making it impossible to establish the wall line with any accuracy.
