WELCOME TO BRADWELL-ON-SEA

During Roman Occupation, the Romans built Othona, which was one of nine forts built along the south east coast of England, and was part of the Saxon Shore military command. Nearly four centuries later, a chapel was built using Othona's ruins in 654. The chapel of St. Peter's on the Wall is one of the oldest churches in the country and is a Grade I listed building. The chapel fell into disuse and was later restored in the 15th century to then fall into disuse again. It was used as a barn for many decades before being restored and reconsecrated in 1920.

Two decades later, RAF Bradwell Bay was constructed in Bradwell-on-Sea during WWII to strengthen east coast defences. The entrance to this disused airfield is marked by a memorial which is a model Mosquito aircraft. It lists the names of 121 Allied airmen 'who in answer to the call to duty left the airfield to fly into the blue forever.' Bradwell Bay was the only fighter station to have used Fog Investigation and Dispersal Operation (FIDO), which was a system used to disperse fog and dense smog so that aircraft could land safely. Not long after the end of the Second World War, Bradwell Nuclear Power Station was built. The station first generated electricity in 1962, and decommissioning then began forty years later. In the twenty-first century, the London Array offshore wind farm was completed in 2013. It is currently the largest offshore wind farm in the world and should be visible from Bradwell-on-Sea.

The village of Bradwell-on-Sea, centred around the Church of St. Thomas, lies over a mile inland and is separate from the hamlet on the edge of the River Blackwater, which is known as Bradwell Waterside. The conservation area in Bradwell-on-Sea centres on St. Thomas' Church and covers the main historic settlement, extending along the High Street, South Street and part of East End Road. There are 23 listed buildings within this area, all are Grade II listed, aside from St. Thomas' Church and Bradwell Lodge which are Grade II* listed. The buildings date from 13th to 19th century, and the area is relatively unchanged from its 19th century appearance. By the River Blackwater, a new quay in the 13th century helped the thriving sheep market and the area saw land reclamation from this period up to the 19th century to provide more arable land for pastures and hunting.