There’s a lot more to St Albans than its commuter belt location might suggest: two thousand years of history for starters. At its centre is a delicious tangle of streets, lined with quirky shops, cracking pubs, cafés and restaurants. It is also the birthplace of the British film industry. In 1894, photographers Arthur Melbourne-Cooper and Birt Acres fired of photographs in rapid succession, thus 'filming' the opening of the Manchester Ship Canal. He opened studios in Alma Road (now Telford Court) and the Odeon Cinema now stands on the site of his picture house on London Road.
St Albans has a long roll call of appearances in movies and on telly. It is probably best known for Life Begins, starring Caroline Quentin and Alexander Armstrong, which was filmed almost entirely in St Albans – but soap fans take note that it has also been used as a location in episodes of Eastenders, Holby City, and Inspector Lynley. Part of the reason is that St Albans is crammed with places to eat and drink - with over 120 restaurants, film crews are spoilt for choice for shooting scenes over food and drink. Bar Meze, Café des Amis, Carluccio’s and Barrissimo, all appear in episodes of Life Begins. The rom-com story Birthday Girl starring Ben Chaplin and Nicole Kidman as a mail-order Russian bride is also set in the town.
The star of the show – St Albans Cathedral
O the history front, number one stop is the magnificent Cathedral and Abbey Church. Roman bricks recycled from the ruins of Verulamium were used to build the Norman spire; inside are 13th and 14th-century frescoes, and at 106-metres long, the nave is the longest in England. St Alban – England’s first Christian martyr - was beheaded by the Romans because of his faith. Legend has it that his head rolled down the hill and a well sprang up at the point where it came to rest. His bones lie in a crimson-sheathed tomb surrounded by pilgrims paying their respects.
Enough history for now. This is supposed to be a film themed visit, and the cathedral is also a well-used movie set for telly favourites such as Inspector Morse and Foyle’s War. It has also appeared in films such as Johnny English with Rowan Atkinson, when it doubled as Westminster Abbey, and the romantic adventure First Knight with Sean Connery, John Gielgud and Richard Gere.
Romans in St Albans
A good place to start with St Albans’ rich heritage is with the Romans in the excellent Verulamium Museum www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk. Check out superb mosaics of a horned sea god and a lion bringing down a stag, and learn how Boudicca’s revolt laid waste to the orderly Roman town. Across Verulamium Park is another mosaic within the remains of a town house built in 200 AD with underfloor heating – what did the Romans do for us? - indeed!
A stroll through St Albans history
On the edge of the park, the historic Olde Fighting Cocks pub is worth a pitstop. Back in the town centre, the courtyard gateways of long-gone coaching houses run along Holywell Hill. A climb up the 93 steps up the Clock Tower is worth the effort too for views over the townscape – it is the only medieval town belfry in England. Last but not least, visit the old Town Hall (it’s now home to the Tourism Information Centre), which opens tardis-like into the circular Old Court house. People were once sentenced to deportation to Australia from here, and it has served as a set in Wilde starring Stephen Fry.
Shopping in St Albans
Shopaholics should make time for some thorough retail therapy: the boutiques and antique shops of George St are renowned for lightening wallets, plus there’s a sprawling Saturday market. For foodies, the Farmers’ Market on the second Sunday of each month is worth a trip in its own right.
How to Travel to St Albans
Getting to St Alban’s from central London could not be easier. Direct trains take around 20 minutes from Kings Cross St Pancras to St Albans (on the First Capital Connect line from Bedford to Brighton). Buses from Victoria take about 1 hour and cost approx £5 return. For those arriving from further afield, Luton airport is 11 miles away. The website www.visiteastofengland.com has further information
Michael Pedley - I have been a full-time travel writer for the last 13 years, working since 1996 for Holiday Which? until 2008 when I left behind the cosy ...
