St. Albans Cathedral

To tell you a little bit more about some of the sights worth a drive to in St. Albans itself, one of the oldest is St. Albans Cathedral - the oldest site of continuous Christian worship in Britain. The church has been welcoming pilgrims and visitors since the 11th century, and is open to the public all year round, 8.30am – 5.45pm daily. Entry is free, and there are free guided tours which last about an hour.

The cathedral is used for special worship, events and services, so it always best to check before visiting, or even better, book in for a group visit, hire a minibus from St. Albans Car and Van Hire, and take a private tour with the expert guides. The guides offer specialist tours on topics such as the cathedral exterior, ironwork, wall paintings, war memorials, woodwork, and much more! There is a small charge for these tours, but worth it to find out more about the history and culture of the cathedral.

During the school holidays there are special family tours and discovery mornings, which entail trails, story-telling, crafts, and themed workshops, again perfect if you have a group of children such as Brownies or a youth group, where you can hire a minibus and take them for some historical learning.

The site of the cathedral stands over the place where Alban, the first martyr, was buried after giving his life for his faith, over 1700 years ago. The building began life as a monastic Abbey, and its evolving religious usage over the years is demonstrated in its architectural mix of styles. During its existence, many pilgrims have paid homage to the church to honour the saint’s sacrifice and to pray at his shrine, with thousands still making the pilgrimage every year.