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St Albans Local Information: 10 top things to know... more

  • 1. History of St Albans

    St Albans was once one of the biggest towns in Roman Britain, before falling at the hands of Boudicca in AD 60-61. The town then had to be rebuilt. The city's name came from a pagan man named Alban, who was executed in around AD 250 after living with a priest in the town, then known as Verulamium, and converting to Christianity. He was executed by Roman soldiers for his faith a...Read morend was later made a saint and named as the first Christian martyr. Read less

  • 2. Now in St Albans

    Due to its position to the north of London, the city of St Albans is a significant and expanding commuter town. It is the only city in the county of Hertfordshire, but is compact, meaning visitors can easily investigate on foot. St Albans has many historic buildings and streets as well as its Cathedral, providing plenty of sightseeing opportunities for visitors.

  • 3. Events in St Albans

    The St Albans Food and Drink Festival takes place in September and aims to celebrate the food scene in the city. The event runs for 10 days and includes the Food and Drink Awards. The St Albans Festival is a two-week celebration of theatre, dance, music and comedy that takes place over a variety of venues in the city in June and July. A giant game Monopoly is held every year in...Read more St Albans and the event is free to enter. Entertainment and activities are on offer throughout the September event, which is organised by St Albans City and District Council. Read less

  • 4. Attractions in St Albans

    The Cathedral is famous for its shrine of St Alban, which commemorates Alban, Britain's first Christian martyr who was executed by the Romans. Pilgrims travel from all over to visit the shrine. The Cathedral also has a café and visitor centre and offers guided tours. The Verulamium Museum tells visitors about everyday life in Roman Britain and features recreated Roman rooms, h...Read moreands-on discovery areas, video presentations and displays of Roman mosaics and wall plasters.The Museum of St Albans tells the story of the city and its people through the ages. There is also a wildlife garden at the site containing a children's trail. Entrance is free The de Havilland Aircraft Heritage Centre is a museum displaying 20 types of de Havilland aircraft ranging from DH Moths to modern military and civil jets Butterfly World, in Chiswell Green, has hundreds of butterflies in a Tropical Butterfly House, a butterfly breeding house, an insect study centre, 19 landscaped gardens, the Chrysalis Lake and wildflower meadows. Read less

  • 5. Things To Do in St Albans

    Anyone feeling energetic enough can climb the 93 steps of the historic Clock Tower in the city centre, which is open during weekends and bank holidays. Tours can also be arranged. The Royal National Rose Society Gardens, to the south of the city, offer visitors a chance to enjoy roses in different planting styles, learn about the history of the rose, investigate a grass maze an...Read mored more. There is a tearoom at the site. The gardens are only open during the summer months. Willows Farm Village gives visitors a chance to meet farmyard animals and experience daily shows and events. Attractions also include adventure play activities and the Woolly Jumpers indoor play barn. Read less

  • 6. Business in St Albans

    St Albans Market takes place on Wednesdays and Saturdays and has over 160 stalls selling everything from fish to fashion. A farmers' market also takes place on the second Sunday of each month. Much of the employment in the city is in the research and development sector and the office retail sector. Tourism is a key local economic driver.  

  • 7. Transport in St Albans

    The city is close to the M1 motorway, the A1 (M) and the M25, making it easily accessible from London and the rest of the UK. It takes just 20 minutes to travel to London's St Pancreas International rail station by train and this route has frequent services both day and night. The Eurostar service at St Pancreas links St Albans to many European destinations. There are direct ra...Read moreil links to London Luton Airport and Gatwick Airport. Stansted and Heathrow airports are also easy to get to from the city. Read less

  • 8. Entertainment in St Albans

    The Abbey Theatre has a 230-seat main theatre and intimate 78-seat studio theatre, offering drama by local groups as well as national visiting companies.The Alban Arena is a venue offering national touring shows, rock and pop concerts, live comedy, films, exhibitions and pantomime. Harpenden Public Halls has a mixed programme of live events on offer, ranging from children's ent...Read moreertainment to music and from comedy to drama. The SandPit Theatre is a theatre venue based on the campus of Sandringham School, St Albans. Events range from battles of the bands to jazz evenings. Horn is a live music venue offering tribute acts and gigs by local bands. A battle of the bands competition also takes place at the venue every year. Read less

  • 9. Famous Landmarks in St Albans

    The Abbey Gateway, built in 1365, is the remains of the Abbey of St Albans. The building now forms part of St Albans school. The Cathedral dominates the city's skyline and displays architecture from many different periods in history. The Cathedral's great tower includes Roman bricks salvaged from the ruins of Verulamium.

  • 10. Interesting Facts about St Albans

    Professor Stephen Hawking attended the St Albans School before he went to university in Oxford.

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