St. Albans
VERULAMIUM AND GORHAMBURY
=How to get there.=–Through train from St. Pancras. Midland Railway.
=Nearest Station.=–St. Albans.
=Distance from London.=–20 miles.
=Average Time.=–Varies between 1/2 to 1 hour.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=–Single 2s. 8d. ... 1s. 7-1/2d.
Return 5s. 4d. ... 3s. 3d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=–"The Peahen,” “Red Lion Hotel,"
“The George,” etc.
=Alternative Routes.=–Train from Euston, L. and N.W. Railway.
Train from King’s Cross, Great Northern Railway.
St. Albans is an ancient town of much historic interest, being built
close to the site of the old Roman city of Verulamium. West of the town;
by a little stream, the Ver, some remains of the old Roman wall may be
seen, and the frequent discoveries made there are placed in the museum
in the town. St. Alban, or Albanus, who has given his name to the town,
was the first British martyr. He lived in the reign of Diocletian, and
was beheaded on the site of the abbey raised in his honour. The
Benedictine monastery which arose became the wealthiest and most popular
in England through the fame of the saint. Most of the kings from Saxon
times until the dissolution of the monastery in Henry VIII.’s reign,
visited this shrine. In later times the Abbey Church was made parochial,
and finally a cathedral.
St. Albans owes some of its importance to its situation on the famous
northward road; Watling Street runs through it. Owing to its proximity
to London, it was the scene of two battles in its High Street during the
Wars of the Roses.
The cathedral occupies the highest site of any in England. The square
Norman tower owes its red hue to the Roman bricks used in its
construction. One remarkable feature is the length of the nave, which is
only exceeded by Winchester. Every style of architecture is represented
in the interior from Early Norman to Late Perpendicular, and in the
triforium of the north transept are to be seen some Saxon balusters and
columns. The shrine of St. Alban is in the Saint’s Chapel, with the
interesting watching-loft on the north side. The west end has been very
much renovated by Lord Grimthorpe.
At Gorhambury can be seen the tower of the ruined house formerly
occupied by Sir Nicholas Bacon, and visited by Queen Elizabeth. In the
antique church of St. Michael in Verulamium is Lord Bacon’s monument.
[Illustration: F. Frith & Co., Ltd.
ST. ALBANS ABBEY.
Showing the Central Tower constructed of Roman bricks from Verulamium.]
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Preface •
Ham House and Petersham •
Walton-On-Thames (scold’s Bridle) •
Harrow •
Holwood House, Keston •
Chigwell, Essex •
Waltham Abbey and Cross •
Downe •
Epsom: Its Races and Its Salts •
Epping Forest •
Hampton Court •
Rye House, Broxbourne •
Hatfield House, Herts •
Runnymead, the Signing of Magna Charta •
The Oldest Brass in England •
St. Albans •
Stoke Poges Church, Bucks •
Windsor •
Jordans and William Penn •
Knole House and Sevenoaks •
Greenstead Church •
Chalfont St. Giles •
Westerham •
Guildford, Surrey •
Gad’s Hill •
Ightham Mote, Kent •
Penshurst •
St. Michael’s Mount and Marazion •
Rochester Cathedral •
Tunbridge Wells •
The Quintain Post At Offham and Malling Abbey •
Eversley •
Farnham, Surrey •
Hindhead, Surrey •
Shottermill •
Penn’s Chapel At Thakeham, Sussex •
Chawton the Home of Jane Austen •
Selborne •
Elstow •
Lewes, Sussex •
Bodiam Castle, Sussex •
Colchester, Essex •
Layer Marney •
Battle Abbey •
Cambridge •
Arundel Castle •
Olney, Bucks •
Wantage and the Country of Alfred the Great •
Canterbury and Its Cathedral •
Reculvers •
Oxford •
Midhurst •
Pevensey Castle •
Savernake Forest •
Ely Cathedral •
St. Ives, Huntingdonshire •
Winchelsea and Rye •
Blenheim Palace •
Peterborough Cathedral and Crowland •
Peterborough •
Southampton •
Helmingham Hall •
Stonehenge, Wiltshire •
Netley Abbey •
Salisbury and Its Cathedral •
Sandwich, Kent •
New Forest, Hampshire •
Osborne House •
Carisbrooke Castle •
Lutterworth •
Compton Wynyates •
Kenilworth Castle •
Belvoir Castle •
Bath •
Boston and the Pilgrim Fathers •
Warwick •
Gloucester and Its Cathedral •
Norfolk Broads •
Norwich Cathedral •
Lichfield •
Sherborne and Its Abbey Church •
Newark •
Wells and Its Cathedral •
Stratford-On-Avon •
Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk •
Lulworth Cove, Dorsetshire •
Corfe Castle •
Lincoln and Its Cathedral •
Somerset, the Birthplace of Tennyson •
Glastonbury Abbey •
Walsingham, Norfolk •
Cheddar Caves, Cheddar, Somerset •
Newstead Abbey •
The Wessex of Thomas Hardy’s Romances •
Tintern Abbey •
Chesterfield, Derbyshire •
Dukeries •
Haddon Hall, Derbyshire •
The Isle of Athelney, and Sedgemoor •
Raglan Castle •
Dovedale •
Wellington and the Wrekin, Shropshire •
Wroxeter and the Roman City of Uriconium, Salop •
Buildwas Abbey, Shropshire •
Ludlow and Its Castle •
Shrewsbury •
Buxton and the Peak District •
Tewkesbury •
Exeter and Its Cathedral •
Market Drayton, Salop •
Chester •
Exmoor •
Knutsford •
Torr Steps On the Barle, Somerset •
Cleeve Abbey, Somerset •
Hawarden •
York Minster •
Coxwold, Yorkshire •
Llangollen and Valle Crucis Abbey •
Knaresborough, Dripping Well •
Fountains Abbey •
Ripon Cathedral •
Dartmoor •
Haworth •
Rievaulx Abbey •
Brixham, Devon •
Conway Castle •
The Doone Valley, Exmoor •
Llandovery, South Wales •
Dartmouth, Devon •
Richmond, Yorkshire •
Tintagel •
Whitby •
Carnarvon Castle •
Plymouth •
Durham and Its Cathedral •
Raby Castle, Durham •
Snowdon •
Harlech Castle •
Grasmere and Rydal Mount •
The Lake District •
St. Davids Cathedral •
Furness Abbey, Lancashire •
Monkwearmouth, Near Jarrow •
The Isle of Man •
Brantwood •
Fowey •
Hexham and Hadrian’s Wall •
The Lake District •
Keswick •
Alnwick Castle •
Lanercost Priory, Cumberland •
Lanercost Priory and Stepping-Stones.] •
St. Ives, Cornwall •
Bamborough Castle, Northumberland
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