The little chapel of St Peter’s-on-the-Wall at Bradwell-on-Sea
in Essex is a place in which we sat listening to the wind howl around one day
as if it was affronted by the very presence of the chapel and our being in it.
But being inside, we were dry and recognized that the ancient chapel, built by
St Cedd in AD 654, will have provided both a refuge to other wayfarers and
pilgrims down the centuries and a place from which the Christian faith had been
‘borne on the wind’. The poem is called Othona,
the name of the Roman fort that preceded the building of the monastic buildings
of which, only the chapel remains.
Othona, St Peter's on the Wall, Bradwell-on-Sea
Wind, sweep off the sea
to scour the implacable marsh.
Beat ancient and hollow tattoo
against wildstone walls, harsh
from your bitter and shrieking blast.
Here, stark at the shore,
protector of the weather-seared wild,
Cedd’s little church on the wall
from whence, the sea-borne child
of faith, on the wind, flew wide.
If you would like to see and hear this poem read by the author, then Click Here
A further experience in the Chapel is the topic of Othona: Chapel by Night
If you would like to see and hear this poem read by the author, then Click Here
A further experience in the Chapel is the topic of Othona: Chapel by Night
If you want to know more about this fascinating ancient place of worship, it has its own attractive website at Bradwell Chapel
Othona is one of the surviving places of worship of the Celtic church which owes its establishment by St Cedd in the seventh century to the influence of Iona. You will find a number of poems about Iona on this blog including The Pilgrim Way
Othona is one of the surviving places of worship of the Celtic church which owes its establishment by St Cedd in the seventh century to the influence of Iona. You will find a number of poems about Iona on this blog including The Pilgrim Way
