Gazetteer of
British Place Names

St Albans is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire. St Albans is an ancient town, with predecessors in a Roman city and an Iron Age town. The town of Verlamion was founded as the capital of the Catuvellauni tribe. The Romans drove a road here, Watling Street, and built Verulamium on the site of Verlamion. Remains of the Roman town are visible in Verulamium Park. Offa II of Mercia founded the Benedictine abbey and monastery at St Albans around 793. The abbey is on Holmhurst Hill, across the Ver from the Roman town, on the site of the martyrdom of Saint Alban in around 250. Much of the present church dates from Norman times, but it incorporates details from the Anglo-Saxon abbey. Its tower is made of Roman bricks brought up the hill from the abandoned Roman town. Since the Dissolution, the abbey's church has been used as the parish church, becoming a cathedral in 1877. St Albans was granted city status following this. The city is within the council area of St Albans (Hertfordshire).

Place Type: City
Historic County: Hertfordshire
Lat, Long: 51.752308,-0.33908961
Grid Reference: TL 1474 0726
Council Area: St Albans CA (Hertfordshire CA)
Police Area: Hertfordshire PA

GBPN ID: 41656
Entry Type: Main listing (P)
URL: https://gazetteer.org.uk/place/St_Albans,_Hertfordshire_41656

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