St Peter-on-the-Wall, Bradwell-on-Sea, Essex - aerial view. This extraordinary building is among the oldest surviving churches in England, dating back to around AD 654. It was founded by St Cedd, a missionary monk from Lindisfarne, who had been sent south to convert the pagan East Saxons to Christianity under King Sigeberht of Essex. The chapel stands in remarkable isolation on the Dengie Peninsula, built directly on the remains of the abandoned Roman fort of Othona, one of a chain of coastal “Saxon Shore” forts constructed by the Romans in the late 3rd century AD to defend Britain against seaborne raiders. Builders reused Roman bricks and stone from the fort itself, giving rise to its distinctive name: St Peter-on-the-Wall. After the early Saxon period, the chapel gradually fell into decline. By the 17th century it had lost its religious function and was converted into a barn, with large agricultural doorways cut through its ancient walls. In 1920 it was carefully restored and reconsecrated, preserving one of Britain’s most important early Christian buildings. Today, nearly 1,400 years after its construction, it remains an active place of worship, cared for by the nearby Othona Community and the Church of England, while also serving as a place of pilgrimage and quiet reflection on this remote stretch of the Essex coast. #StPeterOnTheWall #Essex #Church #aerial