Chapel Of St Peter On The Wall

The Chapel of St Peter on the Wall is a 7th-century chapel, believed to have been built by the Saxon Bishop Cedd around 654. It is situated on the former west wall of the Roman fort of Othona, also known as Ithancaster. The chapel has served various purposes over the years, including as a barn, and was restored as a chapel around 1920. Except for 20th-century restorations, it is constructed from re-used Roman materials such as brick, ashlar, and septaria, and features a 20th-century red tiled roof.

Originally, the chapel included an apse, north and south porticoes, and a west porch, but now only the nave remains. The building measures approximately 30 feet by 22 feet, with walls that rise to a height of 24 feet under the eaves and are 2.5 feet thick. In the east wall, there are Roman brick springers and responds of two arches located about 2 feet from the north and south angles. The upper gable area has been rebuilt using old materials.

The north and south walls were likely divided into bays by tabled buttresses, with the remains of two visible in each western bay. The central sections of both walls were demolished to create entrances when the chapel was used as a barn, but these have since been rebuilt. A doorway can still be seen at the east end of the south wall. High in the south wall, there are two windows with possibly restored original jambs and splays, and a similar window on the north wall, although one original window is now mostly destroyed. The west wall features the junctions of the original porch walls and stone quoins, along with a central original round-headed window made of Roman brick with stone and brick jambs. There is also a central original doorway with a 20th-century lintel and a vertically boarded door.