653 AD

St Cedd, sent from Lindisfarne by Aidan at the request of King Sigbert, landed on the quay of the old Roman fort of Othona.

He travelled the kingdom of the East Saxons and after returning north to be consecrated Bishop came south again and built his cathedral at Othona.

654 AD

Cedd founded a Celtic style community at Othona, a community of both men and women, missionary and monastic, built on the foundations of the gateway to the Roman fort.

664 AD

Cedd died of the plague at Lastingham in October 664.

When his people at Bradwell heard of this they left to live or die by his grave.

All of them, except one little boy, died within a year.

664 AD -
1920 AD

Soon after the death of Cedd, Essex was taken into the Diocese of London and St Peter’s became a minster for the surrounding country.

Southminster six miles to the south was probably named in relation to it.

At some time in the succeeding years the Chapel became the property of the Benedictine monastery of St Valery on the Somme.

The Benedictines owned it from 1068 until it was sold to William of Wykeham in 1391. It then came under the patronage of New College, Oxford.

From the time of the sale of the Chapel until its restoration in 1920 little has been recorded.

Between 1750 & 1774 AD

Change of usage from being a Chapel to a barn.

1920 AD

Restored for use as a Chapel.