The Chapel of St Peter-on-the-wall - Anglo-Celtic Church / 2nd oldest in England
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- Опубликовано: 7 сен 2024
- Yhana and I have travelled out to visit the Dengie Peninsula in Essex, England.
This peninsula is formed by the River crouch to the south and the Blackwater to the North, both of which are tidal estuaries. The North Sea is located to the east of this area of land.
The reason Yhana and I have brought you here to this location is to visit St Peter-on-the-wall Chapel which sits prominently on the tip of the Dengie Peninsula and on the site of the Roman Saxon Shore fort of Othona.
Sadly the only thing left of this old Roman fort, is the earthworks, and we will be taking a look at those later in this video. So please keep watching, as the chapel and the area is very lovely.
The ancient Roman fort of Othona is located close to the modern village of Bradwell-on-sea, Essex and is typically late 3rd century in style.
The roman fort It is believed to have been constructed during the carausian revolt which ultimately led to the short-lived Britannic Roman Empire, this revolt occurred during the years 286 - 296 AD.
Most of the fort has been swallowed by the sea, but some of the material was used to build the 7th century chapel of St Peter-on-the-wall.
That’s right, the chapel we are visiting was built in the 7th century, between the years 660 - 662, making it close to 1400 years old.
The chapel is among the oldest largely intact christian churches in England.
And it’s still in use today, often by the nearby Othona community, which is a christian based community and retreat centre which was founded in 1946 by Norman Motley, who was a church of England priest who had served as an RAF chaplain during the second world war. The community welcomes people of all faiths.
St Peter’s chapel belongs to the diocese of chelmsford cathedral, which is a site I have visited in a previous video, I will add the link above so feel free to give the video a visit.
The chapel is also looked after by the parish church of St Thomas, Bradwell-on-sea.
And the site is also a place of pilgrimage, which is held on the first Saturday of July.
Okay everyone, we are coming up-to the St Peter’s Chapel now and whilst we explore the area and site we will take a look at the history of this incredible location.
The Chapel of St. Peter-On-The-Wall is not an architectural masterpiece, nor is it well known for its ornamentation or the relics it hosts. This small, sober, and unpretentious chapel, located in Bradwell-On-Sea in Essex, is among the oldest mostly intact Christian churches in England. In fact, some sources claim this is the second oldest Christian building in all Great Britain
still standing today (St. Martin’s Church in Canterbury being the first).
The little we know about the man who built it, St. Cedd, we get from St. Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of the English People.
According to Bede, Cedd was born in Northumbria, and was taken to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne (the great center of Celtic Christianity) by St. Aidan himself. Bede also relates that Cedd had three brothers: Chad, Cynibil, and Caelin. All four were priests, but only Cedd and Chad became bishops. By the year 653 Cedd was already a priest,
so we can date his birth around the year 620.
One year after his ordination, in 654, Cedd built St. Peter-on-the-Wall among the ruins of an abandoned Roman fort. Using some of the Roman bricks and stones he found in the place, he built this Anglo-Celtic church for the East Saxons living in the area, as he had been sent from Lindisfarne at the request of the then-king of the Saxons, Sigeberth the Good. Since that time the chapel has belonged to the London diocese, since Cedd served as bishop there.
In 653 Cedd sailed down the east coast of England from Lindisfarne and landed at Bradwell. Here he found the ruins of an old deserted Roman fort. He probably first built a small wooden church but as there was so much stone from the fort he soon realised that would provide a much more permanent building, so he replaced it the next year with the chapel we see today! Cedd modelled his church on the style of churches in Egypt and Syria. The Celtic Christians were greatly influenced by the churches in that part of the world and we know that St. Antony of Egypt had built his church from the ruins of a fort on the banks of a river, just as Cedd did on the banks of the River Blackwater here in Essex (then known as the River Pant).
#oldestchapel #stpeteronthewall #angloceltic
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Absolutely amazing to see such a chapel still open for exploration. Such a great asset to leave all locked up as many historic places here are which keeps people away and not adding to local economies. Love it! Bruce and otis
Thank you Bruce and Otis, for the lovely comment 😊 it’s certainly a very beautiful chapel, and remains open day and night, which is very cool 😊😉 sending our best and catch up soon
Good afternoon Stephen and Yhana, if ever there was a physical representation of good things coming in small packages, it's this wondeful, tiny and history packed chapel! Thanks so much for another fab video, what a cracking video! Have a great weekend, Ceri and Kat ☕ ❤ 👍 🧭 😀
Hi Ceri and Kat, thank you for the lovely comment, this little chapel is certainly a hidden and often overlooked gem in Essex. It’s an incredible site. Sending our best and catch up soon
It’s a lovely old Church Stephen and Yhana. Interesting history behind it and learning that it had been abandoned and then reopened as a church again in 1920. Really neat to see the shells and old metal nails in the stone walls. It’s in nice shape which is good to see. It’s in a lovely location too. Thanks for the awesome tour. 👍😊🇨🇦
Thank you Christine, this chapel is certainly a hidden and often over looked gem here in Essex, possibly due to how far away it is from the nearest big town. It’s very isolated. I have visited many times in the past and it never fails to amaze me. Sending my best and catch up soon 😉😊
It is amazing to think this little chapel dates back to 654, using some of the Roman bricks and stones found in the area. I also enjoyed seeing the Roman fort remains too, and learning about the history of both. 😊💖
Thank you girls, for the lovely comment 😊❤️ it’s much appreciated, the site was very lovely and one I know very well, as my mum grew up on the Dengie not too far from St Peter on-the-wall 😊 sending my best and catch up soon
This is an amazing chapel, and such a history also. I visited a few years ago and the atmosphere inside was quite different to any other chapel.
Thank you Alice, I love this chapel, I have visited the site many times as my Mum grew up on the Dengie and my grandparents lived and are now buried in nearby Maylandsea. In my younger years I even did a few ghost hunting trips late at night here also, as the chapel is open 24/7. Somewhere buried on discs I have photos of orbs and strange lights taken from with the chapel. My Step mum also used to work at Bradwell power station and I spent the odd day trip on the shingle covered beach here at Bradwell. It’s a lovely location, I will go back again one day. Catch up soon 😊
We enjoyed your visit to this small unpretentious chapel, Stephen and Yhana. It's so humble but beautiful and built 654 AD! Love the history you relay and it's story about how it was built. We also enjoyed your walk outside and discovery of a few old sections of the Roman fort that was there before. Thanks so much for bringing us along!
Thank you Dave and Kathy, for the lovely comment 😉😊 it’s truly a beautiful location to visit 😊 sending our best to you and catch up soon
Greeting to you both! There are no words to describe how lovely this church is!! Enjoyed the history of this one very very much! Thank you for another wonderful tour! Especially this one in Essex, England! Blessings to you both!
Thank you so much for such a lovely comment, sending our best to you and catch up soon 😉😊
Hi Stephen & Yhana. What a remarkable little chapel. Looks pretty remote too. Cool seeing the earthworks of the fort as well. Great job mate. Best wishes from Gloucester. 🙏🏻🚶♀️🚶🏻♂️. Watto &Kim.
Thank you Watto and Kim, for the lovely comment 😊 the chapel is very beautiful. Sending our best buddy and catch up soon 😊
Another location that is new to me. The chapel is definitely worth seeing if not for any physical features but for its story and its position. Thanks for showing me something fresh.
Thank you Ivor, for the lovely comment 😊 the chapel is stunning and well worth a visit if you ever get a chance, sending my best and catch up soon 😊
Just wonderful, that chapel is so stunning. Thank you so much for sharing this with us 😊
Thank you very kindly 😊 sending our best
These historical places are unique.
I appreciate the way you describe her.
i can learn a lot. Thank you Stephan and Yhana🤠🇩🇪👍
Thank you Peter, for the very lovely comment 😉😊 sending my best buddy and catch up soon
Awesome exploration... Such a beautiful picturesque structure, a well built and design.
Really love watching your videos, a lot of story to hear from the past!
Thank you very kindly my friend, sending my best and catch up soon 😉😊
Lovely share, thank you and great day to you!
Thank you very kindly my friend 😊 sending my best and catch up soon
Great tour of the Church. That is a really old building. Awesome to see the stone construction. Interesting history. Well done on your narration. It is pretty neat to see the shells and feathers tucked away in the crevices of the walls. Looks like you had the place to yourself. No crowds. Awesome. Cool to see the ruins and bricks in the forest. Awesome exploration. Take care and have a great day.
Thank you buddy, this is a lovely location in the UK, and pretty isolated too for England, 😊 sending our best and catch up soon
What a lovely Chapel. Wonderful to hear it is still sometimes used. The stone work is amazing and that the stones came from the fort. Thank you for taking us along on your exploration.
Thank you for the lovely comment 😉😊 it’s much appreciated, the site is certainly very beautiful 😊
Hello Stephen and Yhana! This little church was very interesting. I am impressed that you were able to find Roman brick remains near the trees. Very cool.
Thank you Donna, I was surprised to find them too, there are a few big badger holes close by, so maybe they were shifted out of the dirt by them. I’m pleased I got to see some of the buried Roman remains 😊 as for the church, it’s very beautiful 😊 I love this area
Thanks for sharing enjoyed the history and views of the chapel
Thank you very kindly buddy, sending my best to you and catch up soon
Amazing old church and Roman fort site.
I have been to Saint Declan’s in Ardmore Ireland and the sign of the cross is permanently engraved at the alter from over a thousand of pilgrims making the sign of the cross. Thanks Stephen and Yhana 👋👍
Thank you guys for the lovely comment, The site you visited in Ireland sounds incredible. I have never been to Ireland although it’s not to far. I would love to go though 😊 catch up soon and sending our best
Amazing, thank you for making this trip to this very lovely historical site to give us a tour around this beautiful Chapel of St Peter-on-the-wall, good effort creating this video, I read you text about this trip, really appreciate your wonderful work. full 17:42👍
Thank you very kindly my friend, sending my best to you and catch up soon 😉😊
Hello Stephen and Yhana your adventures are always very interesting and well done. It is so wonderful to see a church that is that old and still standing for others to see. Seeing old Roman bricks on your walk was fascinating to me. Thank you much for taking us along and sharing the history of one of the oldest churches in England 💯👍😊
Thank you Cheryl, for the lovely comment 😊😉 this site is very beautiful 😊 it’s a shame we didn’t get down on the beach, as there are fossils along this coast. But it was too cold and windy. When the weather gets better, we will go back for sure 😊 sending our best and catch up soon
Something doesn't have to be big in size to be HUGE in importance. Another well researched, informative and interesting video. You have a great way with story telling. I enjoyed the historical information as well as just the building itself. Thanks for this well edited and presented video. 👍 🤩 🇳🇿 🙋♀️ 🇳🇱
Thank you so much Anita, for a very lovely comment, I love this little chapel it’s very beautiful. It’s very isolated too and very quite in this area. Sending you my best and catch up soon 😉❤️😊
Excellent scenery inside the church! Thanks and greetings from Mallorca! Like 👍
Thank you very kindly, sending our best and catch up soon 😉😊
Amazing Anglo-Celtic church Stephen, Loved the stone work of this simple but beautiful church. A pity the Roman Fort no longer stands, only a few foundations. Thank you for the history and taking us along this interesting place. Regards to Yhana. It must be cold as you are sniffling Stephen 🤣 Have a great week. 🤗👍🏽🙏🏽
Lol, I was sniffing like crazy a few times, as it was very, very cold 🥶 lol 😆 Sending my best you Joseph and thank you for the lovely comment too 😊😉
This is possibly my favourite location in the whole of England. Although it doesn't lie in the area that I cover on my own channel, I have visited it many times - I even wrote a novel set during WWII in this area (unpublished). The landscape here is hauntingly bleak, but comforting at the same time, and, the beach of shells 🐚, is unlike anything I have ever seen anywhere else. Thank you for taking me back. Take care Stephen, cheers, Paul 👍🙂
Thank you paul, I know those beaches very well myself 😊 I spent a lot of time here as a child, and your right it’s very bleak, but lovely all the same. My grandparents lived in Maylandsea, buried there too so the Dengie feels like a second home to me. An incredible location to base a WW2 novel, especially with the Bradwell airfield. You should publish it 😊 I would love to read it myself 😊 sending our best and catch up soon
Hi Stephen and Yhana. Another interesting and instructive video full of history. Chapel of St. Petra is really beautiful no matter how she looks. Sometimes it is not the exterior that matters, but what is inside. Nice video as always. Have a great Sunday. Cheers. Sretana and Zac. 🖐😃🤗👍
Hi guys, thank you very kindly for the lovely comment 😊 this church is certainly very beautiful 😊 one of my favourite churches in Essex. Sending our best and catch up soon
Wow its lovely....soooo old....but amazing ....thanks for sharing
Thank you very kindly my friend 😊 sending my best and catch up soon
It is so hard to believe how far the Roman Empire stretched. Love the idea that the chapel is still open. Enjoyed the info and research you have done.
Thank you Jim and Pearl for your lovely comment 😉😊 sending our best and catch up soon
lovely place 1400 year old chapel , the interior looks like my first grade class room! glad the ghosts did not show up and called the winds instead ... cool feathers and roman brick spotted!
Lol, it does look a little like an old fashioned classroom inside lol 😆 I think it was purposely created that way, as a simple means of worship, sending my best buddy and catch up soon
It still looks good long time since I have seen the church xxxx
Thank you, it’s been many years for me too, it was a lovely revisit 😊
Hi Stephen & Yhana . Such a modest building, you'd scarcely know it was a church! I guess they just got steadily grander and more ornate over the generations! Very interesting looking around the old Roman fort remains too! All the best and take care 👍😊
Thank you Des, it’s certainly a very modern building but a very interesting one too 😊 the whole area is lovely and a great location for walks too 😊 sending my best and catch up soon
thanks for sharing nice place
Thank you kindly my friend 😊😉 sending our best and catch up soon
Thanks Stephen and Yhana for that new video, always great content on your channel :) Have a nice day - ADM Team !!
Thank you very kindly my friend, sending our best to you and catch up soon 😉😊
@@StephenandYhana thanks 🙏 guys
Hello guys wow how you find that. I can't believe it's still standing on the age of it. Love caltic history. Thanks for sharing this with us was really interesting 😊👍❤️
Thank you Jamie and Rachel, I have been here many times in the past, although my last visit was about twenty years ago. I spent a lot of time in the area though as a boy 😊 it’s very beautiful, sending our best and catch up soon
Good morning my dear friend 😊 how are you ? I hope you are fine and healthy 🧸🧸 you are a so amazing and so talented 🎁🌹 you deserves it big like
Awww, thank you so much for such a lovely comment 😊 sending my best and catch up soon 😉😊
Hey guys, thank you for making this extremely interesting video, the chapel looks amazing and you told the history perfectly
Thank you very kindly my friend 😉😊 sending our best
Merhabalar; ellerine emeğine sağlık her zamanki gibi yine mükemmel bir paylaşım olmuş Allah yolunuzu açık etsin’
Thank you very kindly my friend 😊 sending my best and catch up soon
so amazing
Thank you kindly my friend 😊😉 sending our best 😊
Loved this cute little chapel,i love your channel,like mine you never know what's going to pop up.big hug debs@stay safe xx
Thank you Debs, for your very lovely comment 😉😊 this chapel is certainly beautiful, I think a bit of variation on channels is good, love your channel lots too, your the best ❤️❤️ 😊 sending our love and catch up soon xx
great video stepen and yhana love the fort
Thank you John, much appreciated buddy, I bet a bit of metal detecting here would be pretty awesome 😊
Awesome video ! I enjoy it so much .
Thank you kindly my friend 😊😉 sending our best 😊
Totally awesome my friend. Keep up the great videos
Thank you buddy 😉😊 hope all well and catch up soon 😉😊
Very interesting story. 👍Congratulations for this video.
Thank you very kindly my friend 😉😊 sending our best
Great One Dear. Really Lovng it man. Massive Dear.
Thank you very much, sending our best and catch up soon 😉😊
Great tour lovely place 👍👍👍👍
Thank you kindly my friend, sending my best and catch up soon 😉😊
😱This place looks amazing, what a stunning chapel and the history, love it. Nice find on the roman bricks, did you keep any? Brilliant video :-) Cara xx
I did keep one of them lol 😆 I’m using it as a plinth / stand for one of my Roman bowls lol ❤️ xx thank you for the lovely comment Cara, sending you my best and catch up soon 😊 xx
Nice share my dear friend 💐
Thank you kindly my friend 😊😉 sending our best and catch up soon
hello my friends... great vidio..//.
Thank you kindly my friend 😊😉 sending our best 😊
Love your claim voice! Awesome video guys 😊
Thank you kindly my friend 😊😉 sending our best 😊
@@StephenandYhana more then welcome 🤗
What a fantastic and historical place Stephen. I wonder what the significance is of placing shells in the wall of the Chapel. It's amazing that it's still in use 🙂👍
Interestingly the shells are carried by pilgrims, the lines of the shell represent the direction they are walking. They have been used for thousands of years for pilgrimage to holy sites. More famously on the Camino de Santiago in Spain. A big thank you buddy, for your kind support and for watching too 😊😉 sending my best and catch up soon
@@StephenandYhana thanks for the explanation Stephen. Much appreciated 🙂
Wow antique church. 654D
Thank you very kindly my friend 😊 sending my best and catch up soon
Great history...Somehow, if you asked me where the 2nd oldest church was...I would have guessed London...I would never imagine that it could be here...But come to think about it...London in those times probably wasn't the center it is today....Just random thoughts on my side..ha ha ha...take care!!
I probably would have guessed the same as you buddy if I didn’t know any different about the chapel, I would love to visit the oldest, which is in Canterbury I think 😊 sending my best and catch up soon
Very cool area. I wonder if you could get a permit to Metal Detect there especially the marsh area. I really love the bricked buildings. You don’t see that kind of history here in the USA.
Well if you ever come to England, I will take you metal detecting. You don’t need a permit here in England, although but most land is owned by someone. Beach areas are usually regarded as public spaces. I think we will get away with metal detecting the marsh and beach close to this site 😉😊
@@StephenandYhana Very cool. That would be awesome. 😊