Othona facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Othona |
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| Essex, England, UK | |
View looking north towards the Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall on the site of the Roman fort
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 Othona
Location in Essex
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| Coordinates | 51°44′06″N 0°56′24″E / 51.735°N 0.940°E |
Othona (also called Othonae) was an old Roman fort located in what is now Bradwell-on-Sea in Essex, England. It was part of a group of forts called the Saxon Shore. These forts protected the coast of Roman Britain from invaders. The local Old English name Ythanceaster comes from the Roman name Othona.
History of Othona Fort
The Othona fort was built in a style common in the late 200s AD. It might have been built around the time of the Carausian Revolt. This was when a Roman commander named Carausius took control of Britain and northern Gaul. This means Othona was built at the same time as other forts like Dubris, Portus Lemanis, and Gariannonum.
An old document from the early 400s AD, called the Notitia Dignitatum, mentions Othona. It says the fort was guarded by a special group of soldiers. They were called a numerus fortensium, which means "unit of the brave ones."
Where the Fort Was Built
Othona was built on the edge of the Dengie Peninsula. This was a perfect spot to control the mouths of the Blackwater and Colne rivers. The River Colne led to the important Roman city of Camulodunum.
The fort was shaped like a trapezoid, which is a four-sided shape with two parallel sides. Its corners were rounded. The stone walls were very thick, about 4.2 meters (13.8 feet). This suggests the walls were very tall. The fort covered an area of over 2 hectares (about 5 acres). A single ditch surrounded the entire site.
Some of the original Roman stones were later used to build the Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall in the 600s AD. Even so, much of the fort's walls survived until the 1600s. A local historian described them as a "huge ruin." Since then, the sea has slowly washed away most of the fort. Today, only small parts remain visible.
The Othona Community and Chapel
The Othona Community is a Christian group and retreat centre. It is based in Bradwell-on-Sea and also in West Dorset. It was started in 1946 by Norman Motley. He was a Church of England priest who served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.
The Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall is a very old chapel. It was built in the mid-600s AD. This chapel has survived from the time when Christianity was first spreading in the East Saxon kingdom.
