Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall

According to Bede (who wrote his history in the early 8th century), a 'city' named Ythanceaster existed on the River Penta. The Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall was almost certainly originally built by Bishop Cedd in 654. No further record exists of the chapel being used until 1442, when the local clergy reported to the Bishop of London that it had been expanded slightly, with a small tower above the porch with a bell in it. However they did not know of its origins and it was unusable, having been burnt. It was repaired and returned to regular use alongside the parish church in Bradwell-on-Sea until at least the Tudor period (16th century) before falling into disuse as a church again and being used as a barn—the position of the wide barn doorway, now filled in, can be seen on the south side of the nave. In 1920, it was restored and reconsecrated as a chapel. Following wartime damage it was once again restored by the architect Laurence King. It was designated as a Grade I listed building in 1959. In May 2023, a book entitled St Peter-on-the Wall Landscape and Heritage on the Essex Coast was published. It reflected concerns over the planned Bradwell B nuclear power station, which it was feared would damage the local environment and the setting of the Chapel. ==Current use==

The chapel belongs to Chelmsford Cathedral and is looked after by the Chaplain, the Revd Steven Poss, Rector of the parish church of St Thomas Bradwell-on-Sea, and members of the church. Regular public services are held in the chapel each week with a Thursday morning Communion service at 9am. Special services are held at Christmas and Easter. In the summer evening services are held each Sunday in July and August at 6:30pm. The chapel and adjacent field are the destination of the Bradwell Pilgrimage, held annually on the first Saturday in July. The procession starts at the Parish Church of St Thomas and the pilgrims walk approximately two miles to the Chapel, where services and events are held. The chapel is also used by the nearby Othona Community. Founded in 1946 by Norman Motley, rector of St Michael, Cornhill, 1956–1980, this Christian-based community is open to people of all faiths and none. In 2018, the chapel was the location for two music videos by the boys' choir Libera. The chapel is the end point of St Peter's Way, a footpath starting at Chipping Ongar. ==Footnotes==