Finding myself in Oxfordshire with much time nine hours at my disposal, and in the sort of weather that ruled out going for anything approaching a decent walk, I decided to go somewhere rather farther flung, and and headed for St Albans, two counties away in Hertfordshire.
Despite never having been there at the time or since, St Albans Cathedral played a notable role in my early life, as my cousin married a man whose first job post graduation was to be the organist there. He wasn't there that long, as Oxford University, his alma mater, soon recalled him and he spent the rest of his working life as Director of Music at Christchurch, but such was the awe with which my family regarded this early appointment, St Albums - as my mother called it, presumably labouring under the illusion that the eponymous saint was the patron of stamp-collectors - has retained the status of Shining City on a Hill in my memory. And since we always referred to the Cathedral as an Abbey back then, that's what I'll do from this point on.
Since St Albans is a pretty small place, I soon located the Abbey. I always like to have a wander around the outside of a venerable building before I go in, so that's what I did.
Despite it not being moulting season, there were a lot of feathers scattered around the perimeter of the Abbey, includng these mallard, woodcock and ring-necked parakeet feathers ...
... and a glance up at the roof confirmed that the peregrine falcons were in residence. I wanted to usher all the small birds courting in bushes and shrubs to safer territory, but they didn't seem to have a care in the world.
The Abbey claims to be the oldest site of continuous Christian worship in the UK, and the hodge-podge of building materials and styles on the outside continues inside ...
Norman Doorway
... nost noticeably in the Nave, which boasts both Gothic and Romanesque arches. The Abbey has another claim ending in -est here too: it's apparently the longest nave in England.
A mediaeval wall painting of the crucifixion
The North Transept from the Crossing
The rose window, reglazed in the 1980s
Jesus showing his wounds to Doubting Thomas
The 12th century mensa on which the relics of St Alban used to rest
The South Transept, with its Norman blind arcade
The Great West Doors that once stood at the main entrance to the Abbey and date from the 14th century
On then to the Quire, which is the oldest part of the building and would have been the heart of the Abbey before the Dissolution, where the monks held their services. The carved seats were only installed in 1903, but the ceiling dates from the 14th century and the wall paintings from the 12th century to Tudor times.
St Albans Abbey was designated a cathedral in 1877, and it has the cathedra to prove it.
Looking from the Quire towards the High Altar Screen ...
... which dates from the 1480s and was restored 400 years later, in Victorian times.
The beautiful mediaeval ceiling, painted with lambs and eagles, the emblems of John the Baptist and John the Evangelist
Directly behind the High Altar Screen is the Saints Chapel, which holds the shrine of St Alban, who gave his name to the Abbey and the city.
There's more of the same lovely ceiling ...
... and the shrine itself, which was smashed during the Dissolution and used as building rubble; it was then pieced back together in 1870s, before being fully restored in 1993.
There also a mediaeval Watchers' Gallery, the only one of its kind to survive in Britain, where people would hide and spy on pilgrims to make sure they didn't steal any jewels from shrine ...
There also a mediaeval Watchers' Gallery, the only one of its kind to survive in Britain, where people would hide and spy on pilgrims to make sure they didn't steal any jewels from shrine ...
... and also some more mediaeval wall paintings, including this one of William of York.
Saints Chapel is part of the Presbytery, which I found the most interesting area in the Abbey. In the North Prebytery Aisle, there's this amazing brass monument to Abbot Thomas de la Mare, who lived from 1309 to 1396 ...
... and the tiny Ramryge chantry, which dates from the 1500s. I would have love to have got inside to have a closer look at the fan vaulting and the perspex angels, both of which I could just glimpse through the gaps in the stonework, but it didn't appear to be open to the public and there was no one around to ask ...
... oh, and yet more of these wonderful Romanesque arches.
Meanwhile, in the South Presbytery Aisle, there's another shrine - yes, St Albans is the only Abbey in the country to house not one, but two mediaeval shrines. This one is of St Amphibalus, and it has a similar history to the shrine of St Albans, except that it underwent its most recent renovation just four years ago, in 2021.
Maybe it's time to give a quick run-down of the story of Saints Alban and Amphibalus.
Let us go back, through the mists of time, to the third or fourth century AD, and the Roman city of Verulamium, just south-west of what is now St Albans. Amphibalus is a Roman-Christian priest, originally based in Caerleon but fleeing religious persecution under Emperor Diocletian. He's offered shelter by a local, one Alban, and during his stay, Alban is so struck by the priest's teaching and faith that he converts to Christianity himself. When the Roman soldiers come to take Amphibalus, Alban puts on the priest's robes and offers himself up, so that Amphibalus can escape. Alban is put to death; Amphibalus returns to Caerleon and converts many others to Christianity, including the saints Julius and Aaron, before finally being captured and returned to Verulamium, where he too is martyred for his faith.
So the story goes.
Let us go back, through the mists of time, to the third or fourth century AD, and the Roman city of Verulamium, just south-west of what is now St Albans. Amphibalus is a Roman-Christian priest, originally based in Caerleon but fleeing religious persecution under Emperor Diocletian. He's offered shelter by a local, one Alban, and during his stay, Alban is so struck by the priest's teaching and faith that he converts to Christianity himself. When the Roman soldiers come to take Amphibalus, Alban puts on the priest's robes and offers himself up, so that Amphibalus can escape. Alban is put to death; Amphibalus returns to Caerleon and converts many others to Christianity, including the saints Julius and Aaron, before finally being captured and returned to Verulamium, where he too is martyred for his faith.
So the story goes.
Mediaeval statue of St George
Stone coffins
The Parish Poor Box, which dates from the 1650s
And finally the Lady Chapel ...
... with traces of original paintwork around the windows.
Some of the graffiti around the abbey, from the 17th century to 2017
The other place I really wanted to see was the Gateway to the Abbey, mainly beause its prominence during the Peasants' Revolt of 1381, when it was beseiged.
Unrest had been simmering in St Albans during the early summer of that year, the locals renewing their demands to be allowed to pasture their cattle, hunt and fish on some of the Abbey's lands. They also wanted to be able to grind their own corn. They managed to secure assurance from the Abbot - the same Thomas de la Mare who's commemorated in the Abbey - that he wouldn't interfere in the governance of the town, but the unrest didn't stop there. To show they meant what they said, the locals freed prisoners from the Abbot's gaol, and destroyed houses and other property belonging to the Abbey. They also encouraged unrest in many of the other Abbey manors, threatened the monks with death, and the Abbey with destruction. Some even went to London to gain support from Wat Tyler, thus laying themselves open to the charge of guilt by association when the resistance was crushed. Which it was, of course; Wat Tyler being murdered on 15th June. By 12th July, Richard II was in St Albans, accompanied by a thousand troops, and fifteen of the ringleaders were hanged at Eywood, south of the city. Their fate was shared by John Ball, the radical priest, who was brought to St Albans from Coventry, where he'd been taken prisoner, and hanged, beheaded and quartered there.
Unrest had been simmering in St Albans during the early summer of that year, the locals renewing their demands to be allowed to pasture their cattle, hunt and fish on some of the Abbey's lands. They also wanted to be able to grind their own corn. They managed to secure assurance from the Abbot - the same Thomas de la Mare who's commemorated in the Abbey - that he wouldn't interfere in the governance of the town, but the unrest didn't stop there. To show they meant what they said, the locals freed prisoners from the Abbot's gaol, and destroyed houses and other property belonging to the Abbey. They also encouraged unrest in many of the other Abbey manors, threatened the monks with death, and the Abbey with destruction. Some even went to London to gain support from Wat Tyler, thus laying themselves open to the charge of guilt by association when the resistance was crushed. Which it was, of course; Wat Tyler being murdered on 15th June. By 12th July, Richard II was in St Albans, accompanied by a thousand troops, and fifteen of the ringleaders were hanged at Eywood, south of the city. Their fate was shared by John Ball, the radical priest, who was brought to St Albans from Coventry, where he'd been taken prisoner, and hanged, beheaded and quartered there.
I was hoping there'd be something commemorating this upheaval - a statue of the revolters besieging the Abbey Gate, perhaps, looking all dynamic with raised fists and straining sinews, or maybe one of John Ball declaiming a sermon - but no, there was just this plaque ...
... and back in town, on the wall of the Museum, this blue one remembering John Ball, which was somewhat disappointing. As a Bristolian, I feel qualified to say that it's high time we properly commemorated those who struggled and fought for our freedoms, rather than the oppressors.
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