Lunch break in Saint Albans

I am excited to drive over to St Albans which I have not visited since I lived in Watford in 1982-3.  T of N is happily deposited in The Mermaid on Hatfield Rd and soon texts to say it is great and there is no need for me to hurry back.  I relax a little on my tour but do feel the need to be home before rush hour hits the M25 and M4.  

Below is the Clock Tower.  Built between 1403 and 1412, it is the only medieval town belfry in England. The Tower allowed the town to sound its own hours until 1863. It also gave the alarm in case of ‘fire or fray’.  It's bell rang out for the first Battle of St Albans during the Wars of the Roses in 1455.

I carry on to the cathedral.  I  remember a summer sunset in 1983 when T of N and I had a lovely time here.   Indeed, I used to visit St Albans Cathedral, formally known as the Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Alban, regularly.  It is longest cathedral in England and is also the oldest site of continuous Christian worship in Britain. . Much of its present architecture dates from Norman times.  It was known as St Alban's Abbey before it became a cathedral in 1877.  Local residents often call it "the abbey", although the present cathedral represents only the church of the old abbey. The abbey church, although legally a cathedral church, differs in certain particulars from most of the other cathedrals in England; it is also used as a parish church, of which the Dean is rector. He has the same powers, responsibilities and duties as the rector of any other parish.

I wish I could stay longer.  I decide to tell T of N we will have two nights next year when we come to Folk by the Oak.   Below is the Abbey gateway, 1365, now part of St Albans school.  

St Albans Cathedral is a mixture of architectural styles reflecting the many centuries of its life, which began as the monastic Abbey.   It stands over the place where Alban, the first martyr, was buried after giving his life for his faith over 1700 years ago. Countless pilgrims have come to honour Saint Alban's sacrifice and offer their prayers at his shrine within the Cathedral. It is used as a place of prayer and meditation by visitors every day. So I pause to think of my Mum and light a candle for her.  Not that she is ever far away. Like many of England's shrines, Saint Alban's was demolished at the dissolution of the monasteries. In 1872, fragments of the Purbeck marble pedestal were recovered and it was reconstructed. 

Extensive restoration is taking place at the moment and scaffolding prevents me from having the same magnificent view as I did in the early eighties.  Here is a link to an image from Google.  https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/St_Albans_Cathedral_Exterior_from_west%2C_Herfordshire%2C_UK_-_Diliff.jpg

The present Cathedral was begun in 1077, using Roman bricks and flint from the ruined Roman city of Verulamium. Its massive 11th century bell tower is the only remaining example of its type. The monastic abbey was completed in 1089. In the current structure the original Norman arches survive principally under the central tower and on the north side of the nave. The arches in the rest of the building are Gothic, following medieval rebuilding and extensions, and Victorian restoration.  





In the nave I marvel at the wall paintings. St Albans Cathedral has the most extensive set of medieval wall paintings surviving today in any of the greater English churches. The paintings date from the late 12th century up to the 16th century and were created to teach a largely illiterate population about the Christian faith, and to stimulate meditation. The paintings were hidden after the Reformation under whitewash but were rediscovered in 1862.

Who was Nicholas Breakspear?   A good question for a pub quiz!   He was born near St Albans and applied to be admitted to the abbey as a novice, but he was turned down. He eventually managed to be accepted into an abbey in France. In 1154 he was elected Pope Adrian IV, the only English Pope there has ever been. 

On leaving I admire the Great West Door, feeling my own Art Historian would love it.   It was probably inserted around 1420.  

It's time to get back to The Mermaid and extract T of N.  I am sad to leave but look forward to seeing Hermes the rabbit!.