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We visited St Albans for a second time over the weekend, and came to the conclusion that it really is the most worthwhile place to visit in Hertfordshire, hands down. It has around 2000 years of history, as it was first settled by an ancient British tribe called the Catuvellauni until the Romans came and set up shop. They built Verulamium, which became the second largest Roman settlement in Britain (the first being Londinium, of course). The city was ransacked for building material when St Albans was founded, so not much is left, but some outer walls of the city are still partially intact, as is the theatre. (Unfortunately none of the photos I took of the theatre came out, so I linked to this nice one I found on Flickr.) We had a great time visiting the Verulamium Museum and saw some fascinating artifacts - the most impressive being the gorgeous and stunningly well preserved mosaics.

We also had a pub lunch at Ye Olde Fighting Cocks - apparently the oldest pub in England - or so a former manager claims he found proof that a pub stood in the same spot in 795 AD. (I wonder how many pubs claim the “oldest pub” title.) Regardless it sure was delicious! Our last stop was at one of the local pubs for a pint, called The Lower Red Lion. It was filled with friendly locals and a cozy fire, and it was the perfect ending to a perfect day.

One of the best things about St Albans is that it’s only a short 30 minute drive away, and you can see everything in just a couple hours or less. So you can fill your day with other plans and still step into St Albans for some lovely sights. It’s also perfect if all you want is a low-key and relaxing day. I’m definitely taking everyone who comes visit us to St Albans.

We visited St Albans last week for a quick afternoon. My guess, is that its probably the nicest place in Hertfordshire, though we haven’t poked around enough. Regardless, St Albans at least has the most history of any location in Hertfordshire. Originally, it was called Verulamium and was the third largest city in Roman England. Later, around 250AD, a Roman citizen named Alban sheltered a refugee Christian priest, Saint Amphibalus and was executed for doing so. Supposedly, a shrine was built at the point of execution and Alban becamse St. Alban, England’s first martyr.

The local cathedral, built around the shrine, was only made a cathedral in 1877, prior to that it was one fo the largest abbeys in England (with much of the original building starting in Norman times, around 1100). However, the Dissolution of the Monastaries (blah, blah, blah, Henry VIII) act destroyed almost all of the abbey, and left only the church and a gatehouse. The church was purchased by the township, and became the parish church was upgraded to a cathedral in Victorian times.

Unfortunately, while we saw the cathedral, we missed the Roman History museum (called the Verulamium) and anything else of significance. The Good Beer Guide lists 8 marvelous pubs to visit, and we managed to miss all of them, though that will certainly change sooner or later. And finally, a couple of photos were taken:

St Albans Cathedral from the front.

The Nave; The Ceiling of the Tower