England
Hertfordshire

Hertfordshire Travel Guide - Historic Churches

St. Albans Cathedral Location map St. Albans , Hertfordshire Named for the first British Christian martyr, this abbey church is the second largest in England, after Winchester. The north transept stands on the traditional spot where Alban was executed in 305 for refusing to participate in a pagan sacrifice. In 793 King Offa founded a Benedictine monastery here to atone for murdering Ethelbert (see Hereford). That early church was rebuilt in the late 11th century using tiles from the old Roman settlement of Verulam. Of note in the interior is the stone roodscreen, perhaps the work of Henry Yevele (see Canterbury), and wall paintings on the piers of the nave. St. Albans became a cathedral in 1876, at which time restorations to the west front and the north transept were carried out by Lord Grimthorpe, an amateur architect who was given a free rein due to the fact that he was paying for the work out of his own pocket. Unfortunately, Lord Grimthorpe proved more enthusiastic than talented, and his efforts are best passed over in silence. St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England, AL1 1BY Website: St. Albans Cathedral Email: mail@stalbanscathedral.org.uk Phone: 01727 860 780 Fax: 01727 850 944