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Historic churches · East of England

Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall

In or near East Mersea.

Anglo-SaxonFree admission👪 Family-friendly4.7 · 187 Google reviews

Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall — Grade I listed chapel in Bradwell-on-Sea, Essex, England, UK.

Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall, historic churches in Essex

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
30 min–1 h
  • Free entry
  • Family-friendly

Getting there & planning your visit

The Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall is located in Maldon, Essex, with the postcode CM0 7PN. Entry is free.

Directions on Google Maps →

About

Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall is a historic church in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to AD 654. Heritage designation: Grade I listed building. Affiliated with Anglicanism. Part of Saxon Shore fort and Anglo-Saxon monastery at Bradwell-on-Sea. Wikidata describes it as: "Grade I listed chapel in Bradwell-on-Sea, Essex, England, UK". Coordinates: 51.7353°, 0.9400°.

Photo gallery

See it from the streetimagery from 2025

Imagery © Mapillary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0

Heritage listing

The Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall, Bradwell-on-Sea, is a Christian church dating from the years 660–662 and among the oldest largely intact churches in England. It is in regular use by the nearby Othona Community, in addition to Church of England services. It is a Grade I listed building.

From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.

Official information

The Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall is a historic site consecrated in 654 AD, making it one of the earliest cathedrals in England. Visitors can explore its simple yet beautiful interior, which reflects a sense of spirituality and history, and participate in various services and pilgrimages throughout the year.

Protected designations

  • Site of Special Scientific Interest: Dengie SSSI
  • National Nature Reserve: DENGIE
  • Ramsar wetland: Dengie (Mid-Essex Coast Phase 1)

Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.

From the Wikipedia article

The Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall, Bradwell-on-Sea, is a Christian church dating from the years 660–662 and among the oldest largely intact churches in England. It is in regular use by the nearby Othona Community, in addition to Church of England services. It is a Grade I listed building.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

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…

Visiting

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…

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
51.7353, 0.9400
County
Essex
District
Maldon
Parish
Bradwell-on-Sea
Postcode
CM0 7PN
Parliamentary constituency
Maldon
Phone
01621 776564
Established
654

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall?
Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall is in Essex, East of England, United Kingdom (postcode CM0 7PN), in the parish of Bradwell-on-Sea.
What is Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall?
Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall — Grade I listed chapel in Bradwell-on-Sea, Essex, England, UK.
How do I get to Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall?
Drivers can use postcode CM0 7PN.
When was Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall built?
Built or established in 654.
Is Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall a listed building?
Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall is officially recognised as Grade I listed building listed.
Is Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall a protected site?
Yes — Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall is part of the Dengie SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the DENGIE National Nature Reserve.
Is Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall free to visit?
Yes, Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall is free to enter.
How do I get to Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall?
Drivers can navigate to postcode CM0 7PN. It sits within the Maldon parliamentary constituency.