St Albans for GroupsExplore 2,000 years of history in one day

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Enjoy a group trip to St Albans 

St Albans is an historic gem of a cathedral city with Roman roots. A generous helping of history with a dash of the contemporary and cultural make it the perfect recipe for a group visit.

Historic city St Albans began life as a metropolis in Roman times, and these 2,000 years of history can still be seen all around the city today.

The 11th-century Cathedral is built on the hallowed ground where Britain’s first saint, Alban, died. The ancient remains of the old city wall signpost the stomping ground for Queen Boudicca herself, and the city centre is jam-packed with Tudor houses as well as exquisite Georgian architecture.

St Albans is well known for its Roman remains, but it doesn’t stop there. You can visit the oldest working medieval clock tower in the country and the UK’s oldest pub. The city is also home to Europe’s oldest public school, where Professor Stephen Hawking studied.

Even the Charter Market is historic; it is the oldest market still regularly held in the same location in an English city. St Albans also hosts an annual European-inspired Christmas Market.

The city-centre attractions cater well for groups with the Cathedral and City Guides offering a number of tours. St Albans Tour Guides have put together a selection of fascinating tours that you can use to create your ideal group itinerary (see pages 6 and 7).

Vibrant shopping The city has many independent shops, including award-winning fashion and gift shops, as well as all of the high-street stores and bustling markets. Many of the city’s restaurants, bars and coffee shops are also award winners, and there’s a wide range of food and drink options to suit every taste.

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Key events for 2017The Alban Weekend24-25 June

St Albans Film Festival 7-9 July

St Albans and Harpenden Food and Drink Festival23 September - 2 October

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Beautiful parklandThere’s a huge 100-acre, city-centre park, with Roman ruins, a beautiful ornamental lake (home to an abundance of wildlife, including a heronry) and an award-winning café.

Nearby St AlbansOn the outskirts of the city is the Gardens of the Rose (pictured right), offering stunning displays of tens of thousands of roses (see page 5 for more details). Closer to the centre, St Albans South Signal Box is a must for railway buffs, and music lovers may like to visit the St Albans Organ Theatre.

And if you have an extra hour or two...There are a number of other attractions nearby that are well equipped to cater for groups. These include: Warner Bros – Harry Potter Studio Tour; Knebworth House; Hatfield House; Woburn Abbey; de Havilland Aircraft Museum; and National Trust property Shaw’s Corner.

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For help with putting together your tour, contact Jenny Swatton by emailing tourism@stalbans.gov.uk or calling 01727 819492.

Contact for GTOs:

Getting here by road:St Albans is close to the M1 (junction 6), A1(M) and M25 (junctions 21A and 22), making it easily accessible from all parts of the UK.

Parking in St Albans:There is coach parking available at two sites around St Albans city centre:• Westminster Lodge car park, Verulamium Park, off

Holywell Hill, St Albans AL1 2DJ• Verulamium car park, St Michael’s Street, off

Bluehouse Hill, St Albans AL3 4SWThere are toilet facilities by Verulamium and Westminster Lodge car parks.

Passenger set-down points:Coaches can drop off passengers in the city centre, near the Old Town Hall building. There are two

different locations, depending on the day: • Weds and Sat (Charter Market days) drop-off point: 33-35 Chequer Street, postcode: AL1 3YE• Sun-Tues and Thurs-Fri drop-off point: St Peter’s Street, postcode: AL1 3LF* *Bay also used for deliveries, if busy try Chequer Street

Restaurants for groups:Abbot’s Kitchen, St Albans Cathedral, tel: 01727 811768Café Rouge, tel: 01727 832777Beech House, tel: 01727 701230Ye Olde Fighting Cocks, tel: 01727 869152There are also many other cafés and restaurants in and around the city centre if your group members want to lunch independently.

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For groups visiting St Albans, here is a tick-list of the historical sites that will give you a great insight into this beautiful city and its 2,000-year history.

Must-see city sights

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St Albans Cathedral Dominating the city’s skyline, the Cathedral is an historic and architectural force to be reckoned with, playing a vital role in British history through the ages.

It is built on the site of the martyrdom of Britain’s first saint, Alban, and stands as witness to more than 1,700 years of British history. So significant was its influence that the first meeting to discuss Magna Carta was held at the Cathedral in 1213.

HighlightsVisit the Shrine of Alban, Britain’s first saint; see an astonishing range of architectural styles and the best collection of medieval wall paintings in the country; climb the 11th-century Norman bell tower, and enjoy the wonderful parklands that surround the Cathedral.

ToursThe Cathedral’s guides can provide a general tour or tailor it to take into account your group’s particular interests. Special-interest tours include music, tower tours, architecture, textiles, flowers and pilgrimage. GTOs should allow two hours for a tour of the Cathedral.

Abbot’s KitchenLocated at the Cathedral, the Abbot’s Kitchen is a group-friendly café serving hot lunches, snacks, refreshments and drinks throughout the day. The Cathedral is open all year round 08.30 – 17.45 (except Christmas Day).www.stalbanscathedral.org

To bookPlease get in touch to discuss your group’s requirements and to book your visit.Tel: 01727 890200Email: mail@stalbanscathedral.org

ROMAN ST ALBANSVerulamium Museum This museum offers a great insight into what everyday life was like in Roman Britain. There are recreated Roman rooms with household objects, legionaries’ armour, statuary, jewellery, glassware and grave goods. The highlight is the Mosaic Room, which has five mosaic floors uncovered between 1930 and 1955.

Roman Theatre of Verulamium Just a short walk from the Verulamium museum are the remains of the Roman Theatre of Verulamium. Built in about 140AD, it was a theatre with a stage rather than an amphitheatre, and is the only example of its kind in Britain.

Verulamium Park and Roman ruins

Venture out into the beautiful 100-acre Verulamium park, once the third largest Roman town in Britain. Walk around the lake and you will find the remnants of the original Roman Wall, and the original entrance to the old city. There’s also a building in the park that houses an original mosaic floor from a Roman mansion.

The Clock Tower Built between 1403 and 1412, the Clock Tower is the only medieval town belfry in England. Open at weekends from Easter to the end of September. Adults £1, children free. Exploring the tower including climbing the 93 steps to the top takes an hour.

Britain's oldest pubOn the edge of Verulamium park is Ye Olde Fighting Cocks pub. Dating back to 793AD, this (according to the Guinness Book of Records) makes the hostelry the oldest pub in the UK. It is also an award-winning real-ale pub with a tasty lunch and dinner menu.

Gardens of the RoseThe Gardens of the Rose is the flagship attraction for the Royal National Rose Society. Open from 10 June 2017 until 6 August 2017 daily, the gardens’ key attractions include the 72-arch pergola in the centre of the gardens, ornamental fish ponds, heritage beds displaying the history of some of the now modern-day varieties and a selection of roses from some of the UK’s premier growers. After exploring the gardens, head to the attraction’s tearoom for some well-deserved R&R. Allow two hours to explore this attraction.www.rnrs.org.uk

Charter Market

St Albans has some well-established, street market traditions. Dating back to the 9th century, the market is one of Britain’s oldest street markets and was granted a special Royal Charter in 1553. Today, the Charter Market takes place every Wednesday and Saturday, and with up to 160 stalls, it lays claim to being the biggest in the southeast. An hour and a half should be enough time to explore the market.

St Albans Christmas Market

The European-style Christmas Market is the perfect festive experience for anybody looking for a boutique alternative to the larger markets. Located in the walled Vintry Garden in the cathedral quarter, the market takes place over three weeks and features more than 60 chalets selling a wide range of items including personalised gifts and homeware, along with the traditional festive offering of bratwurst and gluhwein. Allocate an hour and a half in your tour of the city to enjoy the festive atmosphere at the Christmas market.

THE MARKETS OF ST ALBANS

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St Albans at Christmas The perfect city destination for groups looking for analternative, more boutique-style, European ChristmasMarket. The tour starts in the morning, with groupsgathering at the Cathedral, where they will enjoy a festive 12 Days of Christmas Group tour, followed by a mince pie and mulled wine in the Abbot’s Kitchen.

Goups can also book a special tour of the Cathedral’s great Norman Tower, after which the group is free to experience the festive delights of the Christmas Market, which is located in the pretty walled Vintry Garden in the grounds of St Albans Cathedral.

After lunch, there’s time to take part in an Historic St Albans – A City Revealed tour before heading back to the Christmas Market to enjoy a glass of glühwein.

2,000 years of hospitality For centuries, St Albans has been a town of inns, taverns and alehouses. Even today, it lays claim to having more pubs and inns per square mile than any other city in Britain, as well as the country’s oldest pub, Ye Olde Fighting Cocks, which has been welcoming visitors since 793AD.

During the coaching age of the 17th and 18th centuries, St Albans was the first stop outside of London, and at one point, there were 15 inns in one street alone.

This fascinating tour takes in the city’s history of hospitality, and also looks at the architecture and people who were part of this vibrant aspect of St Albans.

Our group tours can be enjoyed separately or put together to make a tailor-made itinerary for your group

Guided tours for groups

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Martyrs, Monks and Markets Your group can discover the true heart of St Albans with a tour of St Albans Cathedral, a guided walk through the historic streets of the city and an amble through the ancient, thriving market place.

Step back in time and hear how the Cathedral played host to kings and queens as one of the premier abbeys in the land, and discover how the monks of the Abbey went about their daily life.

Just a short stroll away, your group can then explore the most picturesque area of the city with your City Guide, including the medieval Clock Tower and the ancient marketplace.

2,000 Years of History This fascinating tour offers your group the chance to explore 2,000 years of visible history with our expert guides.

The tour begins at the magnificent St Albans Cathedral where you will learn the story of Alban, Britain’s first saint, hear how the Cathedral was one of the premier Abbeys in England and the birthplace of Magna Carta, see a stunning collection of medieval wall paintings and visit the Shrine of St Alban.

Take a break for lunch before making your way with your guide to the Roman City of Verulamium, once the third largest Roman city in Britain. The ruins of Verulamium are set in the beautiful Verulamium Park next to the picturesque St Michael’s Village with its watermill and ancient parish church. Not to be missed are the unique Roman Theatre and Verulamium Museum with its superb collection of mosaics.

Haunted St AlbansSt Albans is a city of cobbled lanes, half-timbered buildings and intriguing alleyways. The 90-minute Haunted St Albans tour reveals the secrets behind these streets and offers a thrilling glimpse into the lives of residents past who, some say, are still present…

The tour starts as the sun sets and is full of tales of the unexpected. It introduces visitors to a fascinating cast of characters, such as little Charlie, who died in Market Place aged just 10, and the lady who forgot to duck when her carriage entered the archway of the 16th-century White Hart Hotel. Enjoy it if you dare!

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Find Your Way Around St AlbansHistoric sites – Vibrant Markets – Beautiful Parkland – all within short walking distance of each other

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