Ancient St Albans (St Albans in General)

Member Name: Ariel_uk

Product:	St Albans in General
Date:	15/08/01 (123 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: History, Compact - idea for a day trip, Numerous pubs

Disadvantages: Numerous pubs, and corresponding number of drunks

Having grown up in this ancient city, it's easy to forget that it's also a place with several historic tourist lures. Layers of it's history are visible, from Roman Verulanium's amphitheatre, through the Medieval Abbey and Clocktower, the two battle grounds of the Wars of the Roses, through to the contemporary Gardens of the Rose (show place for the National Rose Society). Perhaps when I next go home I will re-visit some of these sites and write more detailed ops of them, but as a whole St Albans has much to recommend it to travellers and day-trippers from London, so long as they are interested in history..

Located about 25 minutes by train North of London, and on the way to London Luton airport, it's an easy day trip from London. The return fare is approximately £10 on Thameslink, depending on time of day, and if you have any travelcards etc. However, the station does not have left-luggage facilities, which might make things difficult for travellers intending to take a detour on their way back to the airport. Compared to London cabs are ludicrously cheap though, so it's not an insurmountable difficulty.

The top end of the city centre, capped by the supposedly haunted St Michael's church, is the less historic end, and now mainly chain stores and building societies, although on Saturdays and Wednesdays in is filled with the street market. This sells everything from food to clothes, antiques and crafts, and it's licence goes back to the late medieval period. Walking down the main street, past the Old Town Hall, an ornate neo-classical building, you come to the smaller brick and timber terraced Tudor streets, now home to several small traditional pubs, and more up-market and independent shops. Continuing through French Row you come to the Medieval Clock Tower built largely of brick recovered from the Roman city. The tiny side door leads up a tight spiral staircase to see the inner working of the clock, and learn more
of it's history.

Continuing down the narrow passage directly in front of the clock tower brings you out, rather suddenly, in the shadow of the Abbey itself. The warm red brick wall beside you shelters the walled cloistered garden of the monastery that once served the Abbey. The Abbey building itself is something of an architectural mismatch, grandly renovated by a wealthy Victorian who imposed his own taste on much of it's insides. Medieval frescos have fairly recently been discovered, beneath a layer of 'restorative' plaster, for example. Walking through the graveyard brings you round to the impressive entrance to the cathedral, with it's three huge Gothic arches in red brick and cream stone.

The open slope leading away from the Abbey was once the monks' orchard, and a site towards the top has been excavated as the probable site of St Alban, the first British Martyr was executed. Walking down the hill will bring you to The Old Fighting Cocks, the oldest pub site in St Albans, and thence to Verulanium lakes. Beyond these man made lakes, in the open park, are several Roman remains - parts of the old city wall, and some mosaic floors, as well as Verulanium museum, and beyond that, the remains of the Roman theatre - the only one so completely preserved in the UK.

Further afield there are also the attractions of Hatfield House, home and beautiful prison of the Princess Elizabeth until her coronation, and the National Rose Societies Gardens of the Rose. The latter, at least, is best reached by car. The gates to Hatfield House face immediately on to Hatfield station, so arriving by public transport is no hardship.

St Albans other main claim to fame is having the highest number of pubs per head of population of anywhere in the UK - which means throwing out time on a Friday night may not be the best time to see the city. But it does mean you are almost guaranteed a good pub lunch and a beer - there is a reason
CAMRA has their head office there!

Information for potential visitors can be found at http://www.stalbans.gov.uk/tourism/

The websites of the local papes are also a good way to get an idea of what is going on.

http://www.stalbansobserver.co.uk/newspaper/

and

http://www.hertsad.co.uk/

Summary: