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Bradwell-on-Sea is a Saxon Shore fort constructed in the third century AD on the Essex coast as part of the Roman defensive network against Saxon raiders. The fort, known as Othona, occupies an elevated position overlooking the Blackwater Estuary and retains substantial portions of its flint and ragstone walls, which rise to considerable height on the surviving eastern side. In the seventh century, an Anglo-Saxon monastery was established within or adjacent to the fort's ruins by Saint Cedd, representing a significant continuity of occupation and a notable example of early Christian settlement in Essex. The site thus demonstrates both Roman military engineering and the transition to Anglo-Saxon religious use, making it of considerable archaeological and historical importance.
Saxon Shore fort and Anglo-Saxon monastery at Bradwell-on-Sea is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1013834. View the official record →
Bradwell-on-Sea is a Saxon Shore fort constructed in the third century AD on the Essex coast as part of the Roman defensive network against Saxon raiders. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1013834.
Saxon Shore fort and Anglo-Saxon monastery at Bradwell-on-Sea is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1013834.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Saxon coastal fish weir at Sales Point (1.3 km), Decoy pond 700m north east of Marsh House Farm (4.1 km), Coastal fish weir at the northern end of The Nass (4.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Saxon Shore fort and Anglo-Saxon monastery at Bradwell-on-Sea's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Saxon Shore fort and Anglo-Saxon monastery at Bradwell-on-Sea stands on Thames Group, bedrock that formed in the Eocene. The rock here is clay, silt, sand and gravel.