A DAY AT ST ALBANS
The Society's
outing to St Albans on 6th June
began with a guided tour of the medieval city centre given by guide Gill
Charles. The tour, described as 'covering 1200 years in 90 minutes,' did just
that. Gill started by showing us the 1831 courtroom, which remains largely
unaltered and has been used in television dramas.
From there, we
walked along the bustling street market to the Clock Tower, built in the early
1400s and housing a mechanical clock, which was very rare for the time. It is
one of only two medieval curfew towers in the country. Near to the clock tower
is the site of an Eleanor Cross.
[King Edward I had a cross erected near
each overnight resting place of his queen Eleanor of Castile's funeral cortege,
as her body was taken to Westminster Abbey in 1290. Having rested overnight at
St Albans Abbey
it then made its way to Waltham Abbey, as commemorated by the Eleanor Cross
still standing at what is now the bustling town of Waltham Cross. -ed.]
Romeland
In the shadow
of the cathedral is Romeland (from the word 'room'), a garden marking the site
of the burning of George Tankerfield,
 a
Protestant martyr in the reign of Mary Tudor. This pretty garden was also used
as a cemetery and some of the gravestones remain in situ; others are
incorporated into the garden floor.
[Waltham Abbey
also has a place called Romeland; for many years its name was thought to derive
from Rome in Italy, but recent research by Peter Huggins has shown that it was
once a vacant space, a 'room land' just like the one at St Albans. Ours was once
used as a stonemason's yard for the final preparation of blocks of stone shipped
from Caen for the new abbey, as they were unloaded from the barges used to bring
them up the River Lea. - ed.]
The Cathedral and Abbey
 The Cathedral
and Abbey Church of St Alban, which also acts as the parish church, stands on
top of a hill and is built on the site of the martyrdom of St Alban. This
impressive building has a controversial Victorian Gothic west front, which has
now weathered to blend in with the rest of the building. Its cathedral status
makes St Albans a city; the only city in Hertfordshire.
[St Alban's
west end was built in total disregard of public opinion of the time, and of the
rest of the structure, and was instantly hated by all except its builder. In
direct contrast, Burges attempted to design Waltham Abbey's east end with great
sympathy for its setting. His work was not to be disliked until well into the
20th century, along with all things Victorian. Both these edifices are perhaps
now falling back into general favour. St Albans' multiple architectural styles
could even be said to reflect its present-day multi-faith role. - ed.]
The abbey's heart is of beautiful Romanesque work - note the
Saxon pilasters and Roman bricks
After the
guided tour, we had two hours to ourselves to explore the town and take lunch.
In the afternoon, we had a rare treat when we were given a tour of the Abbey
Gateway, which is part of St Albans School, by archivist Mike Highstead, a
former master at the school.
The Gateway is
built of flint rubble with occasional Roman bricks and blocks of stone. It was
used as a jail after the dissolution, and the Borough Quarter Sessions took
place there.
[It was erected
in the 1360s after its predecessor was blown down in strong winds. In 1381 it
was besieged by the people of St Albans. It served as the town prison from 1553
until 1869, and has been used as classrooms by St Albans School, founded AD 948,
since 1871. -ed.]
 The rooms are now used as classrooms for the students and one is
also used by the school's Masonic Lodge. Many original features remain, such as
the wood panelling, a Tudor fireplace and the coat of arms of Charles I.
The Gateway
also houses the third printing press to be used in England, and an archive
collection of items associated with the school.
Kingsbury Watermill
 From there, we
went to Kingsbury Watermill Museum, a 16th century watermill.
The waterwheel is
still in working order, and the machinery in the upper floors of the building is
preserved in almost exactly the same condition as when it was in use as a flour
mill.
The museum is also home to a Waffle House, where we all enjoyed a welcome
afternoon break - and a delicious waffle!
Verulamium Museum
 Our last stop
of the day was the Verulamium Museum. We were met by one of the museum staff,
who gave us a very interesting and informative talk about the history and the
exhibits on show, including some very fine Romano-British mosaic floors.
The
museum is arranged in rooms recreating the Roman way of life, and houses
archaeological finds including coins, Samian ware and a bronze statue of a
goddess.
We remained at the museum until it closed at 5.30, after which we made
our way home.
Some Links:
Cathedral & Abbey Church of St Alban
City of St Albans Tour Guides
St Albans Tourist Information Centre
Eleanor
Crosses (Wikipedia)
The Clock Tower
St Albans School
St Albans School (Wikipedia)
Kingsbury Watermill &
Waffle House
Verulamium Museum
For more information please
Contact WAHS
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