1 week Ago By [email protected] (Annette Belcher, Mel King)
The Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall, one of the oldest churches in England, is still a vibrant part of the community in Bradwell-on-Sea. This cherished local landmark dates back to between 660–662, making it one of the oldest largely intact churches in England. Despite its age, a significant restoration in 1920 has ensured the Grade I listed building remains in regular use today.
The chapel, which belongs to Chelmsford Cathedral, continues to host regular church services. Its location near the picturesque Essex village of Bradwell-on-Sea makes it a popular attraction for visitors exploring the Dengie peninsula. Bradwell-on-Sea has a rich history dating back to Roman times when it was known as Othona, a Saxon Shore fort.
Read more: River Island's 'stunning' £49 formal dress that shoppers are 'running' to buy Read more: Popular Essex park to be transformed into huge inflatable play area for 'Mega Fun Day' The Anglo-Saxons later named it Ithancester. In 653, Saint Cedd founded a monastery within the old walls, which now survives as the restored Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall. This historical connection means the chapel is also used by the nearby Othona Community.
Interestingly, the resilient chapel has even outlasted a power station, another significant historical feature closely linked to both the chapel and the nearby village. In the 20th century, the village became known as the site for Bradwell nuclear power station. Concerns have been raised about the preservation of the chapel as fears mount over the planned Bradwell B nuclear power station, which could jeopardise the local environment and the historic essence of the chapel.
Although the original Bradwell station ceased operations in 2002 and has since been decommissioned, it was a significant power source during its 40 years of service. It produced nearly 60 terawatt hours of electricity, capable of supplying 15 million homes for a year or powering areas equivalent to Chelmsford, Colchester, and Southend each day. In a landmark industry-first move, Bradwell reached 'care and maintenance' (CandM) status in 2018.
NDA Chief Executive David Peattie commented at that time, "Bradwell becoming the first of the UK's legacy sites to enter care and maintenance is a historic moment, not just for Magnox Ltd and the NDA, but for the country." He expressed gratitude towards all involved and outlined a vision for the UK’s 17 sites: "I'd like to give my thanks to all who have been involved in the collaborative effort to deliver this significant achievement. Together we have developed a vision for our 17 sites around the UK, with ambitious targets to accelerate decommissioning and secure savings.
" Peattie went on to describe how Bradwell's pioneering methods were vital for challenges at other sites: "Within this, Bradwell has pioneered methods for tackling the challenges we face at many of our Magnox reactor sites, and has contributed to an important body of expertise that is being shared across the NDA group.".
