A 'vanishing' road with an unnerving atmosphere that has drawn in horror film directors doesn't exactly sound like the most pleasant of road trips. However, I ended up driving along the mysterious causeway to Osea Island in Essex, about an hour from London. It is quiet and relatively traffic-free, but for 20 hours a day, it vanishes because it is submerged under water.
The Roman Causeway
The half-a-mile long Roman causeway is the only way to reach the private Osea Island by car, and it is only accessible about four hours a day at low tide. It is not really signposted, and there is a fair amount of planning needed to even reach it. The road goes directly to Osea Island, which is privately owned and a popular holiday destination for celebrities. The private ownership means you need a booking for the island before you are even allowed to drive across.
How to Access the Road
First, you have to drive to Osea Island leisure park, before following the road down to a barrier. Here, you will call the island to let them know that you will be crossing and that you will be staying on the island. The barrier will then be opened for you once you have provided the code, which makes you feel a little bit like a spy. Low tide means you need to time your arrival well; there is a two-hour window in the morning and a two-hour window in the evening when you can actually make the drive.
If you are expecting a perfectly paved road like many of our modern A roads, think again. This causeway was built by the Romans and is approximately 1,600 to 1,900 years old. The surface is rocky, bumpy, and very much natural. The sides of the road are signposted by large rocks, covered in seaweed.
Atmosphere and Filming History
If you open a window, you will smell sea air and see plenty of birds pecking at the riverbed now exposed by the low tide. Despite the road only being half a mile long, you really have to drive slowly to avoid bumps. On a foggy day, the road looks incredibly mysterious and almost scary. It is really no surprise that the causeway has been used for shooting some horror films, most notably the 2012 version of The Woman in Black featuring Daniel Radcliffe, where it doubled as the fictional Nine Lives Causeway. The eerie appeal also saw it used for filming drama The Third Day, starring Jude Law.
Once on the Island
Once you have crossed the road and are on the island, you can park up and enjoy your accommodation or the one pub that opens only on Friday nights and does not have last orders. If you walk back to where the road meets the island once the tide has come in, it is almost like it never existed; the only indication was a few large stones visible that highlighted where the road was. To cross again by car, you will have to wait until the next low tide, but there is an occasional boat service if you really need to get back to the mainland.
As a drive, I can sum it up in three words: creepy, magical, and gorgeous.
