Redshank, Redshank, St Osyth, Essex

Designed to resemble both Maunsell forts and redshanks, a type of wading bird, this resolutely unique and award-winning home hovers above salty marshland on the north Essex coast. Rear and side-glazed aspects usher in an ethereal light and draw the eye south and west across the seascape and towards Colne Point Nature Reserve. Colchester is just 15 miles north-west, while Clacton-on-Sea station, a 22-minute drive away, runs services to London Liverpool Street in around 90 minutes.



Please note that we are unaware of any lenders providing mortgages for this type of home at present.



The Tour



Redshank was conceived as an artist's retreat by Lisa Shell, in close collaboration with the current owners. In 2017, it won a RIBA East Award, along with a RIBA East Small Project Award.



The home is accessed via a shared access track, with a designated parking spot alongside. Wild and breathtaking, there is also a delicacy to the surrounding landscape. These constraints, alongside weather cycles, demanded an innovative and beautifully realised design – one that would lift the house above the marshland, which floods at high tide.



A steel tripod structure, painted a striking orange-red in homage to its namesake (a frequent visitor to the landscape), holds the home in the air. The elevations are clad in oak boards and cork panels that form a skin around the cross-laminated timber frame and offer protection from the salty winds. The material's mottled texture echoes the plumage of the redshank, as well as the tones of the surrounding landscape.



A galvanised steel staircase, with symmetrical flights, docks to the side of the cabin and ascends to a decked terrace from which the entrance leads into a small hall with plenty of handy hanging space.



A sliding door separates the hall from the generous living space, orientated to follow the path of the sun. Its connections to the outdoors are unfaltering: the southern elevation has a large window looking towards a shingle bank and the sea beyond. Other openings similarly frame the landscape, while enhancing the home’s sense of isolation. The room is warmed by a centrally placed wood-burning stove.



The kitchen has a neat run of reclaimed teak cabinets and a Belfast sink. Adjacent is ample space to gather around a large dining table. A screen of sliding glass doors opens to a westerly balcony and a dining terrace, melding inside with out and capturing panoramic East Anglian sunsets.



With a material and colour palette mirroring the rest of the house, the bedroom sits in the north-easterly corner - an orientation that faces out to the rising morning sun.



A shower room completes the layout; here, uninterrupted views are framed by a lined window, which also douses the room in a serene coastal light.



Outdoor Space



A west-facing deck is the perfect spot for dining, entertaining, or admiring the unique surroundings. Panoramic views prevail, and the orientation bathes the space in a singular light.



The Area



Redshank lies in Lee-over-Sands in Essex, close to the mouth of the River Colne, within a nature reserve. It is atmospherically isolated: this home, one of just a cluster of coastal boltholes, is surrounded by a remarkable salt marsh and shingle beach, where a variety of estuarine birds can be spotted.



A footbridge across Ray Creek provides passage to Colne Point. This is a birdwatcher’s paradise, terns, oystercatchers and finger plovers can also be spotted seasonally along the shore.



The Blue Flag-awarded Brightlingsea beach, located where the River Colne meets the sea, is also close by. It has rows of colourful beach huts and sandy and shingle shores.



There are several large supermarkets in Clacton-on-Sea, around 24 minutes’ drive from Redshank. Colchester – Britain’s oldest recorded town – has plenty of places to dine as well as Roman sites and Firstsite, an arts centre that runs exhibitions and has a cinema.



Clacton-on-Sea station is around 22 minutes' drive away and runs services to London Liverpool Street in just over 90 minutes. By car, London can be reached in around two and a half hours. There are also good driving routes to the rest of the coastline, providing almost endless opportunities for exploring nature.



Council Tax Band: A