Len Banister visits a Roman religious site

10:06am Thursday 29th September 2005

Len Banister visits a Roman religious site This walk ends with a visit to what is probably the most important site of religious worship in Essex.

St. Cedd, Bishop of Essex from 654 to 664, built a small wooden church at Bradwell but soon followed this up with the present stone structure which was probably completed in 660. Having been built near the site of a Roman Fort it is unsurprising that materials from the original Roman buildings have been used in its construction most obvious are the red Roman tiles.

The first views of the church are impressive as it stands isolated against the background of the sea. The real surprise is the experience you get on entry. Many are influenced by the quiet dignity of this ancient church which has been prayed in over many centuries.

Over the centuries the church of St Peter-on-the-Wall has been the destination of thousands of pilgrims.

Nowadays, on fine weekends, it is not unusual to encounter over a hundred people at the site.

If you can manage it, it will be best to do the walk during the week when few people are about so that you too can experience the serenity of the building.

The walk itself starts less than 500 metres from the church so that people who wish to could go straight to the chapel without completing the route.

Those who want to take the exercise should choose a fine day as there is little protection from wind and rain once you have started. The first half is along roads and surfaced tracks and you return along the final stretch of St Peter's Way, 43-mile long-distance walk from Chipping Ongar devised in the 1970s. This second half is mainly along the sea wall, giving views out to sea and across to the power station.

You may realise, from posters in the neighbourhood, that this is the proposed site for a wind farm.

Click here for map.

1. Start After parking your car, walk back up the road. Pass the caf which serves the caravan site then continue along the Roman Road by the Cricketers pub. Go under power lines and turn left along a quiet lane.

2. 0.8 miles/1.3 km Continue through the small hamlet of Hockley. The lane's surface will change several times during the course of your walk. Early on it is made of concrete and is described as a private road' fear not, this is a public right of way. Keep to the lane as it passes alongside farms until, just after one (Glebe Farm) you come to a gate.

3. 2.3 miles/3.6 km Skirt the gate by going to the left, pass between two tanks and swing left with the lane on what is now the official St Peter's Way. You are now walking towards the coast and eventually reach a T-junction. Go left, and soon, when the track curves round to the right, go straight forward up onto the sea wall. After about a quarter of a mile the wall curves out to sea (if you wanted to shorten the walk slightly you could continue forward and rejoin it later) the loop takes you closer to the sea and provides you with the best stretch for bird watching. The wide ditch on the left formed by digging out to form the embankment for the sea wall provides sightings of freshwater wildfowl whilst on the right, depending on the state of the tide, there should be many opportunities to observe waders. The wall turns west to the point where it reaches its previous line.

4. 4.3 miles/6.8km Turn right and continue for half a mile. Just before you reach a house enclosed by trees turn left off the sea wall to walk up to St Peter's Chapel.

5. 5 miles/8.1km When you have finished looking around, walk away from the chapel (away from the coast) along the path to reach the car park.

Walker's Notebook

Starting Point/Parking: Go east from either Maldon or South Woodham Ferrers to pick up the B1021 and take the turning to Bradwell on Sea. Turn right in the village centre continuing along the Roman Road until you reach the car park.

Distance: 5.5 miles/8.8km Time: 3 hours Terrain: Mainly good, flat tracks Stiles: none Near: Maldon Refreshments: a caf and pub near the start Public Toilets: none Public Transport: none Map and Grid Reference: Explorer 176, 023077 More Information: West Essex Ramblers: memberships and free programme of walks with leaders: 020 8524 2737 (Redbridge Group: 01708 456 771 and Lea Valley Friends who specialise in walks of 3 to 4 miles: 020 8529 7328).

Around the site