St Peter ad Murum, Bradwell on Sea
photo courtesy of Michael Rogers
The chapel of St Peter on the Wall is the oldest christian church in England still in use
This Grade I listed building was founded by St Cedd in 654AD astride the ruins of the abandoned roman fort Orthona and is constructed of roman bricks, tiles and stones. Despite damage during Viking raids, by medieval times the church had grown with the addition of a tower which not only housed two bells but acted as a beacon and lookout post. By the 17th Century the chapel had fallen out of use and the tower and chancel were both demolished leaving the nave to be used as a barn and no doubt a suitable hiding place for smugglers.
In 1920 the chapel was returned to the Chelmsford Diocese and the building restored and reconsecrated by the Bishop of Chelmsford. The current altar consists of stones donated from the three religious communities associated with St Cedd, namely Iona, Lindisfarne and Lastingham.
The chapel is never locked however the door latch is rather stiff so feel free to wander round or just sit and enjoy the silence, or just shelter from the rain clouds.
In addition to the church there is ample opportunity for bird watching over the marshes and cocklespit beach. Alternatively just walk along the seawalls and drink in the fantastic views.
The cache is not located at the coordinates given, these are for a small parking area. To find the cache you need to have found the following caches
The cache can be found at N51 44.((U+S+R) x T x P) E000 56.(RS x U x P)
If anybody would like to expand on this series please do so. Could you please let sadexploration know first so he can keep track of the Church numbers and names to avoid duplication.