St Albans Cathedral

St Albans Cathedral stands on Holmhurst Hill in the town of St Albans, a short distance from the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Verulamium. Much of its stonework comes from the old Roman buildings nearby, carried here by medieval masons. The cathedral began as a small memorial over the execution site of Alban, the first Christian martyr in Britain. Its present structure dates mainly from Norman times, with later Gothic and 19th-century additions. The cathedral also serves as a parish church, with the dean acting as rector. It differs from most English cathedrals by combining both roles. The cathedral’s history is tied to the story of Alban, who sheltered a Christian priest and was executed for taking his place. Bede records that Alban crossed the River Ver to a hilltop where a spring rose at his feet. The nearby Holywell Hill and Halywell River preserve these legends. The tomb of St Amphibalus, the priest Alban protected, lies inside the cathedral. Archaeologists have found remains of a well structure at the foot of Holywell Hill. The cathedral’s great crossing tower, built in the 11th century, still stands tall at 44 metres. Inside, the cathedral reveals its Norman arches beneath the tower and along the nave. The walls were once covered with coloured plaster and tapestries, though little survives today. The tower’s massive piers and buttresses show Robert the Mason’s careful work. Visitors walk past the places where kings and bishops once gathered for consecrations. The building’s plain early style later gained sculpted ornaments as fashions changed. The cathedral remains a place where history, legend and worship come together.