St Albans is the only city in the mainly rural and beautiful county of Hertfordshire, and lies just 35 kilometres north of Central London in what is generally called the ‘commuter belt’. This historic city is centered around the old Town Hall and Market Place and its skyline is dominated by the magnificent St Albans Cathedral which has been a pilgrimage site for Saint Alban for the last 1700 years. St Alban was the first British Christian martyr who was beheaded around 300 A.D. This huge Cathedral and Abbey
Church is located on the hill which is believed to be the site of Alban’s martyrdom and beyond which lies the buried ruins of the Roman city of Verulamium which was connected to London on the famous Roman ‘Watling Street’. Situated just north of the River Ver, St Albans has a compact old centre which has remained unchanged from its origins as a medieval market town and pilgrimage site until the 20th century, when residential expansion occurred due to its closeness to the rapidly expanding city of London. Today, this busy dormitory town of 65,000 residents is home to many people who work in London and who wish to enjoy the quieter small city atmosphere that still survives in St Albans and reminds us of its rich and varied history.
Home to several interesting and diverse attractions, St Albans is a tourist destination with visitors coming to primarily see the Norman Cathedral and its awesome architecture, the Shrine of St Alban, the medieval paintings and the beautiful Wallingford screen. The Cathedral has been built on the site of an earlier Saxon Benedictine Abbey built by King Offa of Mercia for St Alban. Other places of interest include the Abbey Gateway which is all that is left of the original Abbey, St Michael’s Church which was founded in the 10th century, ‘Ye Olde Fighting Cocks’ public house which is reputed to be one of Britain’s oldest pubs, the 16th century Kingsbury Watermill, the 15th century Clock Tower which is one of only two medieval belfries in England, plus the old Town Hall and Market Place. Adjacent to St Michael’s Church is Verulamium Park in which can be found the Verulamium Museum that portrays everyday life in Roman Britain. The museum gives the visitor an opportunity to discover the life and times of a major Roman city as Veralamium, now known as St Albans, was an important centre and was at one time the second largest town in Britain after London!! Just a short walk from the museum is the Roman theatre, the best preserved example in Britain, and some ruined foundations of a shrine and shops. Close to this tranquil parkland can be found the heart of the city and the architectural heritage of St Michael’s village including Fishpool Street, George Street, St Michael’s Street and Sopwell Lane where many medieval inns are still in use and worth a wander around!!
The fascinating story of St Albans from its beginnings as a village of the Celtic Catuvellauni tribe, the Roman city to its rise as a medieval market town and coaching centre to a modern commuter environment is told through lively displays at the St Albans Museum.
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