Visiting St Albans | Hertfordshire County | Dallaswear

St Albans

St Albans is situated in the county of Hertfordshire, just North of London. There are excellent transport links from London and other parts of the country. These include good road, rail and air links and a little research on the internet soon reveals just how accessible St Albans is.

St Albans had its beginnings in 20BC when local Celts built their capital here. In 43 AD Hertfordshire was invaded by the Romans who took over the settlement and called it Verulamium.

St Albans is named after Britain’s first saint. Alban lived in the early third century. He sheltered a Christian priest who was fleeing persecution. The priests name was Amphibalus. While providing shelter to Amphibalus, Alban became intrigued by the mans faith and asked to learn more about Christianity. As the Roman authorities closed in on Amphibalus, Alban, having found Christianity himself, could not allow his capture. He swapped clothes with the priest and allowed him to escape. Alban was himself arrested and was given the punishment intended for the escaped priest. He was led out of Verulamium and up the hill where he was beheaded.

St Albans is now a cathedral city. The present-day cathedral stands on the site of St Alban’s grave. It was the shrine of St Alban that led to growth of the town around it. The cathedral is a lovely place to visit. The architecture is beautiful, a mix of Norman, Gothic and 19th century. Recently there have been improvements made to the Cathedral in the form of a new visitor centre. Funding was secured from the Lottery Heritage Fund and over 1000 other donors. The funds have been used to highlight the importance of the Cathedral and the part it played in the history of Christianity in Britain. An interesting fact in this regard is that the only English Pope there has been was born locally. The cathedral also boasts the longest nave of any English cathedral measuring an impressive 85 metres. Other interesting features include the cathedral tower which is the only one in England to have been constructed re-using Roman bricks. The Cathedral stands high on a hill and there are impressive views of it from Verulamium Park.

When we visited St Albans, we would always try to park in Verulamium Park so that we could enjoy the view of the cathedral and start our visit with a walk around the park. There are lots of features to recommend the park including

tennis courts, football pitches, golf course and an outdoor children’s splash park. There is a lovely lake to walk around and lots of benches for picnics. It is also interesting historically. The park stands on the Roman settlement of Verulamium, which in its day was one of the largest Roman cities in Britain. There are ruins still visible today along with a museum dedicated to the city’s Roman Heritage. The museum holds some of the most impressive mosaics ever discovered outside of the Mediterranean. Children will enjoy the recreated Roman Rooms and free activity sheets provided. Back in the park you’ll find the remains of a Roman Theatre and city walls.

Another striking feature in St Albans is the only surviving medieval town Belfry. The Clock Tower is designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument and holds a six hundred year old bell. Open to the public it provides beautiful views over the city and the Hertfordshire countryside.

In addition to the interesting and historic buildings, St Albans is a modern city with all the amenities on offer that one would expect. Shopping is a pleasant experience in St Albans with a mixture of popular high street names, specialist and independent shops and boutiques offering everything imaginable. Mixed in to this are a wide range of cafes, bars and restaurants providing the opportunity for a sweet treat or something a little more substantial. The choice is endless, in a good way of course!

There are regular street markets too, usually on Wednesdays and Saturdays, with additional Farmers Markets on the second Sunday of each month. This is an opportunity to buy direct from local farmers and producers and is a lovely experience. There are a great variety of products available from seasonal fruit and vegetables, fresh baked bread and cakes, cheese and dairy products plus stalls selling handcrafted goods made by local crafters. St Albans has always been the home to a market and there are records tracing the history of the market all the way back to the 9th Century. The modern market offers produce to take away to enjoy later as well as Street Food to eat while you browse!

With current Coronavirus restrictions in place during the lead up to Christmas it may not be advisable to venture too far from home. Obviously, we all need to abide by Government Guidelines for our own safety and the safety of others. Once restrictions are eased, however, it would be well worth a visit to St Albans if you haven’t been before. With all the beautiful old buildings to see, the Roman ruins, the stunning Cathedral and park, along with a great choice of shops, markets, restaurants and cafes it’s a great place to visit.