Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall

The Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall is an Anglo-Saxon chapel in Bradwell-on-Sea on England's east coast, built from reused Roman stone and brick. The rectangular plan measures roughly 50 feet long and 22 feet wide, with thick stone walls and a simple interior lacking a nave or tower.

Bishop Cedd founded this chapel in 654 on the site of an abandoned Roman coastal fort. Over the centuries the building served variously as a barn before being reconsecrated for worship in the 20th century.

The building stands on the foundations of the Roman fort Othona, a name carried forward by the nearby community that gathers here. Visitors attending the weekly Thursday communion can experience the quiet rhythm of a site that has served as a place of reflection for centuries.

Access is via a roughly mile-long farm track starting at St Thomas Church and running through open farmland. Sturdy footwear is advisable as the path can become muddy in wet weather and uneven in places.

The chapel ranks among the oldest largely intact church buildings in England from before the Norman Conquest. Parts of the original apse and side chambers have disappeared, yet the main structure still reveals the hand of early Christian builders.

Location: Bradwell-on-Sea

Inception: 654

Part of: Saxon Shore fort and Anglo-Saxon monastery at Bradwell-on-Sea

Website: https://bradwellchapel.org

GPS coordinates: 51.73534,0.93996

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:31