St Albans factfile

How to get to St Albans
The cathedral city of St Albans is located in Hertfordshire, around 32 km (20 mi) north of central London. It's close to the M1 and M25 motorways and has a fast rail connection to London Kings Cross and from there to most other UK cities.

St Albans through the ages
In Roman Britain St Albans was known as Verulamium, a strategic trading and administration town. It was famously razed during the Boudiccan uprising of 60 AD, along with Colchester and London.

St Albans also played a major part in the Peasants Uprising of 1381. The Clock Tower (one of only two medieval belfries left in England) was built by the townspeople to symbolise their political independence from the monastery.

St Albans prospered with improved transport links, gaining city status in the late 19th century and becoming the modern commuter choice it is today.

How St Albans got its name
The first British Christian martyr St Alban gave the city its name in the early Middle Ages. He is reputed to be buried under the site of the Cathedral, where his shrine continues to attract visitors and pilgrims to St Albans today.

Things to see and do in St Albans
St Albans' Roman heritage is on show at the Verulamium Museum, with an award-winning exhibition recreating everyday life in the ancient city. If this whets your appetite, head to the ruins of the nearby Roman Theatre—one of the best-preserved examples of its kind in the UK.

If you fancy stepping off the tourist trail, opt for a stroll around St Albans' bucolic Verulamium Park or admire the medieval architecture in the alleys and streets around the Cathedral.

Famous people from St Albans
Theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking grew up in St Albans from the age of eight, attending St Albans School where he was famously described as a "good but not exceptional student".

St Albans' claim to fame
The city (along with several others, it must be pointed out) claims to have the oldest pub in England: Ye Old Fighting Cocks on the River Ver. It's ahead of the pack of other claimants, however, in that it currently holds the Guinness World Records title. The pub's foundations date from around 793 AD and it's linked by underground tunnels to the Abbey Church.

Shopping in St Albans
The 1,000-year old market in the city centre is still one of the largest in the south-east, with over 170 stalls. There's also a bi-monthly farmers' market and regular continental markets offering European produce and goods.

The specialist shops around the Cathedral Quarter offer everything from antiques to designer clothes. For high-street wares, opt for St Peter's Street and Christopher Place.