St Albans is a city rich in heritage, with evidence of the pre-Roman, Roman, medieval and the modern forming a continuous link between the past and present. The town first appeared as Verlamion, an Iron Age settlement whose name may mean ‘the settlement above the marsh’. The river, still known as the Ver, runs through the city. The inhabitants traded with the Romans for many years before the Roman conquest of Britain in AD 43. Verulamium, along with the towns of Colchester and London, was ransacked in the Boudiccan uprising of AD 60/61.
It was rebuilt with many fine buildings including public baths, a theatre, temples, large privately owned town houses with under floor heating and, from the 3rd century, town walls. The town grew to be the third largest in Britain before gradually falling into decline after AD 400. The site of the Roman town of Verulamium lies beneath modern Verulamium Park. The ruined buildings of Verulamium were exploited to build the new market town of St Albans. In the Norman Abbey tower you can still see the fine Roman bricks that were removed from the derelict buildings.
The St Albans of today is based on the medieval town which grew up around the Abbey. The medieval street pattern can still be experienced and many of the original buildings remain. The market has continued in use since these early times and contributes to the lively atmosphere. The Abbey was fundamental to the layout of the new town. The Abbots created the Market Place and St Peter’s Street in the 12th century in a deliberate attempt to create the economic heart of the new town.
This site was developed from the market place laid out by the early Saxon abbots and developed by Abbot Ulsinus in AD 948. St Albans played a major part in the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381. There had been growing conflict with the Abbot over milling rights and a surge of popular feeling that the townspeople should have more control over their affairs. The Abbey Gateway and Clock Tower symbolise the conflict between monastery and town. The Clock Tower, built between 1403 and 1412, was constructed by the townspeople as a symbol of their independence from the church.
The economic basis of St Albans in medieval times was as a market town, catering for travellers and pilgrims. Many inns grew up around the Abbey. Several medieval inns are still in use in Fishpool Street, George Street, St Michael’s Street, Holywell Hill and Sopwell Lane. Many others survive as shops and offices. The 18th and early 19th centuries saw continuity and change. Improvements in roads in the 18th century led to the establishment of numerous coaching inns, and although the coaching trade declined with the growth of the railways in the 19th century, the opening of the main line to London in 1868 led to a revival in the town’s prosperity.
Indeed, from the Roman foundations of Verulamium through to the present day, St Albans’ proximity to London has been a crucial factor in its development. In 1877, St Albans received a Royal Charter
conferring city status on the town and the Abbey Church became a cathedral. The 20th century saw the city of St Albans continue to develop as a commuter town. To this day the city retains a distinctive character with much to remind us of its rich and varied history.