A HISTORIC priory will be opening for weddings and holidays by early next year, it has been revealed.

St Osyth Priory, which dates back to the 12th century, is undergoing a massive multi-million pound restoration project to bring the ancient monument back to its former glory.

The vision includes wedding and events facilities, guest accommodation, a spa and self-catering holiday cottages.

Work on the historic Darcy house, which will be used as a wedding venue, is expected to be completed by Christmas, along with work on the newly-constructed South Lodge guest accommodation.

The Sargeant family, which owns the priory, has also been given permission for a visitor centre, farm shop and café as part of the business plan to restore the site and its historic buildings.

Tim Sargeant said: “Great progress has been made, not just physically with the buildings, but in terms of the future of the priory.

“It’s the dawning of a new era for us.

“We have been talking about it for a number of years and things are now starting to happen – it’s tangible.

“We’re not just restoring these fantastic buildings, which are so important to the local community, district and county, but we’re building a community asset.

“With café and farm shop, local people can come to the estate – and we’ll also be doing visits, tours and walks.”

Works are underway on Darcy House as well as the Grade I listed Gatehouse.

Repairs are being made to the top of the gatehouse along with new coping stones and flint work.

The priory will be working with the Tendring-based Black Jacket Group, which will be running weddings, events and facilities at the site.

William Grinsted, director of the group, said: “We are getting ready and will open in 2023.

“A lot of restoration has already taken place and there’s a lot for people to see.

“We will soon be able to invite people to book for show rounds for perspective weddings and events - we hope to have ready that ready by Christmas.

“After a good few years of planning, it is really exciting to get to this point.”

It is hoped that by attracting a commercial venture to the priory, it will help to reduce the significant “conservation deficit” in the cost of restoring the estate.

Darcy House comprises three wings, including the 18th and 19th century Rochford house and Abbot Vintoner’s 1527 lodgings, John Johnson’s 19th century house, and the remains of the mediaeval cellarer’s range, where the Vintoner range was extended south by Lord Darcy in 1553.

The scheme will see the west wing preserved as a house and Johnson’s lavish drawing rooms and east and south wings to be used as function rooms and bedroom suites.

The aim of the business plan for the priory is to cut the £27.6million conservation deficit – the funding gap between the cost of restoration and the final value of a buildings – to £15million.

Money is also being raised for the restoration via the approved enabling developments of 190 homes at the Wellwick site off Colchester Road, 89 houses in the park and at the West Field site.

It is estimated the once the site is fully open to the public, it will help to generate £45million for the local community over ten years.