St. Albans - 2000 years of history

Today, instead of taking the train south to London, I went north a couple of stops to the small city of St. Albans.  I found St. Albans to be a delightful destination, very picturesque and historic, and lacking the hordes of tourists I've found in so many other places.  The city's history goes back more than 2000 years.  It was first the site of a Celtic settlement, and then the Roman town of Verulamium.  In the Middle Ages it was one of the most important religious centers in the England.

Dominating the town is the Cathedral (formerly Abbey) of St. Albans, which claims to be the oldest site of continuous Christian worship in Britain.  It is dedicated to St. Alban, Britain's first Christian saint.  According to tradition, Alban was a Roman citizen of Verulamium who gave refuge to a Christian priest being pursued by the authorities.  Alban was so impressed with the piety of the priest that he himself converted to Christianity.  When the Romans learned of the priest's location, Alban put on the priest's cloak and offered himself up, thus allowing the priest to escape.  Alban was brought before the judge, and when he refused to give up his faith, he was sentenced to death.

During the early Christian period, a shrine was built on the supposed tomb of St. Alban.  In 793 a larger abbey and a Benedictine monastery were built on the site.  The present church was begun in 1077 in Norman Romanesque style, and later additions in the 12th and 13th centuries were in the Gothic style.  It was the most important abbey in England and a major pilgrimage site.  Its nave is the longest in England. 

With the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII, the monastery was looted and eventually torn down to be used as building stone.  St. Albans became an parish church, and over time fell into disrepair.  It was not until the 1800s that efforts were made to restore the church to its former grandeur. In 1877 it was made an Anglican cathedral.

The interior of the Cathedral is quite impressive.

The main altar

 

 The shrine of St. Alban which supposedly contains his relics

    

One of the many stained glass windows

The ceiling of the tower, decorated with the red and white roses of the royal houses of Lancaster and York who fought each other in the War of the Roses.

Beyond the Cathedral is Verculamium Park, a large, attractive municipal park built on the site of the ancient Roman city.  Although it was one of the largest Roman settlements in Britain, very little remains of Verculamium since its stones were used in the construction of the abbey and monastery.

This is all that remains of the walls of Verulamium.

 

A small building in the park shelters the remains of a beautiful mosaic floor which once graced the home of a wealthy Roman.  Underneath the floor are ducts which were part of a central heating system.

 

A small museum in the park contains many artifacts from ancient Verulamium, including more mosaic floors.

Beyond the park are the remains of the Roman theater.

 

The town of St. Albans is very picturesque with churches and homes that reflect the architectural styles of medieval, Tudor, Georgian and Victorian England.

 

The clock tower in the center of town is the only medieval town belfry in England.  It was built in the early 1400s.

 

I think St. Albans is one of the most interesting towns that I have visited in England.  Since it is only about 40 minutes by train from London, I'm surprised that more tourists haven't discovered it.  But we'll keep it a secret, OK?