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Saint Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire

Hertfordshire is a Ceremonial counties of England and Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England Counties of England in the East of England region of England....
, England
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
, around north of central London
London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans
City and District of St Albans

The City and District of St Albans is a Non-metropolitan district, in Hertfordshire, England.The district includes:* St Albans * Harpenden ...
. It was a settlement of pre-Roman origin named Verlamion by the Ancient British
Belgae

The Belgae were a group of tribes living in northern Gaul in the 1st century BC, and later also in Roman Britain. They gave their name to the Roman province of Gallia Belgica, and later, to the modern country of Belgium, where they are colloquially known as the "Old Belgians"....
, Catuvellauni
Catuvellauni

The Catuvellauni were a Celtic/Belgae tribe or state of south-eastern Prehistoric Britain before the Roman conquest of Britain.The fortunes of the Catuvellauni and their kings before the conquest can be traced through numismatic evidence and scattered references in classical histories....
 tribe. It became the first major town on the old Roman
Roman Britain

Roman Britain refers to those parts of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire between AD 43 and 410. The Romans referred to their province as Britannia....
 road of Watling Street
Watling Street

Watling Street is the name given to an ancient trackway in England and Wales that was first used by the Celts mainly between the modern cities of Canterbury and St Albans....
 for travellers heading north and became the Roman city of Verulamium
Verulamium

Verulamium was the third-largest city in Roman Britain. It was sited in the southwest of the modern city of St Albans in Hertfordshire. A large portion of the Roman city remains unexcavated, being now park and agricultural land, though much has been built upon ....
. Saint Alban
Saint Alban

Saint Alban was the first British Christianity martyr. Along with his fellow saints Julius and Aaron, Alban is one of three martyrs remembered from Roman Britain....
, the first British Christian martyr, was beheaded sometime before AD 324 and gave it its modern name.






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Saint Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire

Hertfordshire is a Ceremonial counties of England and Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England Counties of England in the East of England region of England....
, England
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
, around north of central London
London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans
City and District of St Albans

The City and District of St Albans is a Non-metropolitan district, in Hertfordshire, England.The district includes:* St Albans * Harpenden ...
. It was a settlement of pre-Roman origin named Verlamion by the Ancient British
Belgae

The Belgae were a group of tribes living in northern Gaul in the 1st century BC, and later also in Roman Britain. They gave their name to the Roman province of Gallia Belgica, and later, to the modern country of Belgium, where they are colloquially known as the "Old Belgians"....
, Catuvellauni
Catuvellauni

The Catuvellauni were a Celtic/Belgae tribe or state of south-eastern Prehistoric Britain before the Roman conquest of Britain.The fortunes of the Catuvellauni and their kings before the conquest can be traced through numismatic evidence and scattered references in classical histories....
 tribe. It became the first major town on the old Roman
Roman Britain

Roman Britain refers to those parts of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire between AD 43 and 410. The Romans referred to their province as Britannia....
 road of Watling Street
Watling Street

Watling Street is the name given to an ancient trackway in England and Wales that was first used by the Celts mainly between the modern cities of Canterbury and St Albans....
 for travellers heading north and became the Roman city of Verulamium
Verulamium

Verulamium was the third-largest city in Roman Britain. It was sited in the southwest of the modern city of St Albans in Hertfordshire. A large portion of the Roman city remains unexcavated, being now park and agricultural land, though much has been built upon ....
. Saint Alban
Saint Alban

Saint Alban was the first British Christianity martyr. Along with his fellow saints Julius and Aaron, Alban is one of three martyrs remembered from Roman Britain....
, the first British Christian martyr, was beheaded sometime before AD 324 and gave it its modern name. It is a historic cathedral and market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt
London commuter belt

The London commuter belt is the metropolitan area surrounding Greater London, England from which it is possible to commuting to work in the capital....
.

History

Stalbans Tower
Catedrala Proba
Ye Olde Fighting Cocks
Main Street 5
Kingsbury Watermill Museum
The St Albans area has a long history of settlement. The Celtic Catuvellauni
Catuvellauni

The Catuvellauni were a Celtic/Belgae tribe or state of south-eastern Prehistoric Britain before the Roman conquest of Britain.The fortunes of the Catuvellauni and their kings before the conquest can be traced through numismatic evidence and scattered references in classical histories....
 tribe had a settlement at Prae Hill a mile or so to the west. The Roman town of Verulamium
Verulamium

Verulamium was the third-largest city in Roman Britain. It was sited in the southwest of the modern city of St Albans in Hertfordshire. A large portion of the Roman city remains unexcavated, being now park and agricultural land, though much has been built upon ....
, second-largest town in Roman Britain after Londinium
Londinium

This article covers the history of London during the Roman Britain from around 47 AD when the Roman city of Londinium was founded, to its abandonment during the 5th century....
, was built alongside this in the valley of the River Ver
River Ver

The River Ver is a river in Hertfordshire, England. The river begins in the grounds of Markyate Cell, and flows south for 12 miles alongside Watling Street through Flamstead, Redbourn, St Albans and Park Street, Hertfordshire, and joins the River Colne, Hertfordshire at Bricket Wood....
 a little nearer to the present town centre.

After the Roman withdrawal, and prior to becoming known as St Albans, the town was called Verlamchester or Wćclingacaester by the Mercian Angles
Mercia

Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxons Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands....
.

The mediaeval town grew up on the hill to the east of this around the Benedictine
Benedictine

Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy....
 foundation of St Albans Abbey. This is the spot where tradition has it that St Alban
Saint Alban

Saint Alban was the first British Christianity martyr. Along with his fellow saints Julius and Aaron, Alban is one of three martyrs remembered from Roman Britain....
, the first British Christian
Christianity

Christianity is a Monotheistic religion #Christian view religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus as New Testament view on Jesus' life....
 martyr, was beheaded sometime before AD 324. It was, at one time, the principal abbey
Abbey

An abbey , is a Christianity monastery or convent, under the government of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community....
 in England and the first draft of Magna Carta
Magna Carta

Magna Carta , also called Magna Carta Libertatum , is an Kingdom of England legal charter, originally issued in the year 1215. It was written in Latin....
 was drawn up there, reflecting its political importance. The Abbey Church, now St Albans Cathedral
St Albans Cathedral

St Albans Cathedral is an Church of England Cathedral church at St Albans, England. At 84 metres , its nave is the longest of any cathedral in England....
 (formally the Cathedral & Abbey Church of St Alban but still known locally as The Abbey) became the parish church when it was bought by the local people in 1553, soon after the priory was dissolved
Dissolution of the Monasteries

The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, denotes the administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII of England disbanded all monastery, nunnery and friary in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their income, disposed of their assets and provided f...
 in 1539. It was made a cathedral in 1877 when the City Charter was granted. There is evidence that the original site was somewhat higher up the hill than the present building and there had certainly been successive abbeys before the current building was started in 1077.

St Albans School
St Albans School (Hertfordshire)

St Albans School is a Public School and a former Direct Grant Grammar school in St Albans, England. Founded in 948 by Abbot Wulsin, St Albans School is not only the oldest school in Hertfordshire but also one of the oldest in the United Kingdom and Europe....
, a public school
Public school

The term public school has two distinct meanings depending on the location of usage:* in the United States, Australia and Canada: A school funded from tax revenue and most commonly administered to some degree by government or local government agencies....
 which occupies a site to the west of the Abbey and which includes the 14th century Abbey Gateway, was founded in AD 948 and is the only school in the English-speaking world to have educated a Pope
Pope

The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church and head of state of Vatican City. The current pope is Pope Benedict XVI, who was elected April 19, 2005 in Papal conclave, 2005....
 (Adrian IV
Pope Adrian IV

Pope Adrian IV , born Nicholas Breakspear or Breakspeare, was Pope from 1154 to 1159.Adrian IV is the only England who has occupied the papal chair....
). It numbered amongst its buildings until comparatively recently a converted former hat factory, a link with the town's industrial past. Nearby Luton
Luton

Luton is a large town in the East of England England, 32 miles north of London. Historically, Luton is within the county of Bedfordshire, and since 1997, the town has been a unitary authority....
 was also a notable centre for the hat making industry.

The road between the Abbey and the school, running down to the River Ver
River Ver

The River Ver is a river in Hertfordshire, England. The river begins in the grounds of Markyate Cell, and flows south for 12 miles alongside Watling Street through Flamstead, Redbourn, St Albans and Park Street, Hertfordshire, and joins the River Colne, Hertfordshire at Bricket Wood....
 and Verulamium Park
Verulamium Park

Verulamium Park is a park in St Albans, Hertfordshire. Set in over of beautiful parkland, Verulamium Park was purchased from the Earl of Verulam in 1929 by the then City Corporation....
 (on part of the site of Roman Verulamium), is called Abbey Mill Lane. On this road are the palaces of the Bishops of St Albans
Bishop of St Albans

The Bishop of St Albans is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Saint Albans in the Province of Canterbury. The bishop is supported in his work by two suffragan bishops, the Bishop of Hertford and the Bishop of Bedford, and three archdeacons....
 and Hertford
Bishop of Hertford

The Bishop of Hertford is an Episcopal polity title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of St Albans, in the Province of Canterbury, England....
. The Fighting Cocks
Ye Olde Fighting Cocks

Thorn Olde Fighting Cocks is a public house in St Albans, Hertfordshire, which is one of several that lay claim to being the oldest in England....
 public house is at the Verulamium Park end of this road. Also on the River Ver, at the St Michael's Village end of the park, is Kingsbury watermill, which is now maintained as a museum with a waffle house attached.

The growth of St Albans was generally slow before the 20th century, reflecting its status as a rural
Rural

Rural areas are large and isolated areas of a country, often with low populations. Today, 75 percent of the United States' inhabitants live in suburban and urban areas, but cities occupy only 2 percent of the country....
 market town, a pilgrimage site, and the first overnight coaching stop of the route to and from London
London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
 - a fact which also accounts for its many inns, many dating from Tudor times. In the inter-war years it became a popular centre for the electronics
Electronics

Electronics refers to the flow of charge through nonmetal electrical conductor , whereas electrical refers to the flow of charge through metal electrical conductor....
 industry. In the post-World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
 years it was expanded significantly as part of the post-War redistribution of population out of Greater London
Greater London

Greater London is the top-level administrative subdivision covering London, England. The administrative area was officially created in 1965 and covers the City of London , the City of Westminster and the other 31 London boroughs....
 that also saw the creation of new town
New town

A new town, planned community or planned city is a city, town, or community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area....
s.

The city today shows evidence of building and excavation from all periods of its history and it is a tourist destination. Notable buildings include the Abbey and the early 15th century Clock Tower (pictured). The clock tower is one of only two similar towers in England; it is also the site of an Eleanor cross
Eleanor cross

The Eleanor crosses were 12 lavishly decorated stone monuments, of which three survive intact, in a line down part of the east of England. Edward I of England had the crosses erected between 1291 and 1294 in memory of his wife Eleanor of Castile, marking the nightly resting-places along the route taken by her body as it was taken to London....
, which was pulled down in 1703 due to neglect, replaced by the town pump. A fountain was erected in its place in 1874, now relocated to Victoria Place. The popular singer Donovan
Donovan

Donovan , is a Scotland singer-songwriter and guitarist. Emerging from the British folk music scene, he developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, Popular music, psychedelic rock, and world music....
 is rumoured to have learnt to play the guitar outside the Clock Tower.

Running into St Albans from the south is Holywell Hill (generally pronounced "holly-well hill"), its name taken from the story of St Alban: legend has it that his severed head rolled down the hill from the execution site and into a well at the bottom (some versions have a well springing from the site at which the head stopped).

The mixed character of St Albans and proximity to London has made it a popular filming location. The Abbey and Fishpool Street areas were used for the pilot episode of the 1960s' ecclesiastical TV comedy All Gas and Gaiters
All Gas and Gaiters

All Gas and Gaiters is a United Kingdom Situation comedy that aired on BBC One from 1966 to 1971. It was written by Pauline Devaney and Edwin Apps, a husband-and-wife team....
. The area of Romeland, directly north of the Abbey Gateway and the walls of the Abbey and school grounds, can be seen masquerading as part of an Oxford college in some episodes of Inspector Morse
Inspector Morse

Detective Chief Inspector Endeavour Morse is a fictional character in a series of thirteen detective novels by United Kingdom author Colin Dexter, as well as the Inspector Morse produced by Central Independent Television from 1987?2000, in which he was portrayed by John Thaw....
 (and several local pubs also appear). Fishpool Street, running from Romeland to St Michael's village, stood in for Hastings
Hastings

Hastings is a town and Borough status in the United Kingdom on the coast of East Sussex in England. It includes originally separate settlements, as well as the inevitable growth of the town through the building of new estates....
 in some episodes of Foyle's War
Foyle's War

Foyle's War is a United Kingdom detective fiction drama created by screenwriter and author Anthony Horowitz, and commissioned by ITV after the long-running series Inspector Morse came to an end in 2000....
. Life Begins
Life Begins

Life Begins is a Great Britain television drama broadcast on ITV, starring Caroline Quentin and Alexander Armstrong , Anne Reid and Frank Finlay....
 was filmed largely in and around St Albans. The Lady Chapel in the Abbey itself was used as a location for at least one scene in Sean Connery
Sean Connery

Sir Thomas Sean Connery is an Academy Award, Golden Globe, and BAFTA Award winning Scotland actor and film producer who is best known as the first actor to portray James Bond in cinema, starring in seven Bond films....
's 1995 film First Knight
First Knight

First Knight is a 1995 film based on Arthurian legend. The principal characters are Lancelot , King Arthur and Guinevere . Location shots were filmed in North Wales....
, whilst the nave of the Abbey was used during a coronation scene as a substitute for Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey

The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, which is almost always referred to popularly and informally as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic architecture Church , in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster....
 in Johnny English
Johnny English

Johnny English is a British film comedy film parodying the James Bond secret agent genre, released in 2003. It starred Rowan Atkinson as the incompetent United Kingdom spy of the title, with John Malkovich, Natalie Imbruglia and Ben Miller....
 starring Rowan Atkinson
Rowan Atkinson

'Rowan Sebastian Atkinson' is an England comedian, actor and writer, famous for his work on the classic sitcoms Blackadder, The Thin Blue Line and Mr....
. The 19th century gatehouse of the former prison near the mainline station appeared in the title sequence of the TV series Porridge
Porridge (TV series)

Porridge is a British sitcom that was broadcast on BBC One from 1973 to 1977, running for three series, two Christmas specials, as well as a Porridge ....
, starring Ronnie Barker
Ronnie Barker

Ronald William George Barker, Order of the British Empire , was an English actor and comedian, best known for his roles as Norman Stanley Fletcher in the British comedy television series Porridge , as various characters in the British comedy television series The Two Ronnies and as Albert Arkwright in the British comedy television ser...
. The 2001 film Birthday Girl
Birthday Girl

Birthday Girl is a 2001 in film United Kingdom Film Four-backed film featuring Nicole Kidman as a Russian mail-order bride. It is directed by Jez Butterworth and stars Ben Chaplin and Vincent Cassel....
 starring Ben Chaplin
Ben Chaplin

Ben Chaplin is an England actor....
 and Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman

Nicole Mary Kidman, Order of Australia is an Academy Award-winning Hawaiian-born Australian actress, fashion model, singer, United Nations Citizen of the World award-winning humanitarian, and a UNIFEM and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador....
 was also partly filmed in St Albans.

More recently, several scenes from the upcoming film Incendiary
Incendiary (film)

Incendiary is a 2008 British drama film portraying the aftermath of a terrorist attack at a soccer match. It is directed by Sharon Maguire and stars Michelle Williams as a young mother, Ewan McGregor as Jasper, and Matthew Macfadyen as Terence....
, starring Michelle Williams
Michelle Williams (actress)

Michelle Ingrid Williams is an Academy Award-nominated United States actor. Williams broke into stardom on the teen series Dawson's Creek and later graduated to full-length features, most notably Brokeback Mountain, for which she earned an Oscar nomination for Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress....
, Ewan McGregor
Ewan McGregor

Ewan Gordon McGregor is a Scottish people actor, singer, and adventurer who has had success in mainstream, independent film and Art film films....
 and Matthew Macfadyen
Matthew Macfadyen

Matthew Macfadyen is a United Kingdom actor, known for his role as MI5 agent Tom Quinn in the BBC television drama series Spooks and for starring as Fitzwilliam Darcy in the 2005 film version of Pride and Prejudice ....
, were filmed in St Albans, focusing in particular on the Abbey and the Abbey Gateway.

Twinning

St Albans is twinned
Town twinning

Town twinning, also known as sister cities, is a concept whereby towns or city in geographically and politically distinct areas are paired, with the goal of fostering human contact and cultural links between their inhabitants....
 with:
  • Fano
    Fano

    Fano is a town and comune of the province of Pesaro and Urbino in the Marche region of Italy. It is a beach resort 12 km southeast of Pesaro, located where the Via Flaminia reaches the Adriatic Sea....
    , Italy
    Italy

    Italy , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia....
  • Nyíregyháza
    Nyíregyháza

    Ny?regyh?za is a city in North-east Hungary and the county capital of Szabolcs-Szatm?r-Bereg. With a population of 117,000 it is the seventh-largest city in Hungary and is one of the leading cities of Northern Hungary....
    , Hungary
    Hungary

    Hungary , officially in English the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia....
  • Nevers
    Nevers

    Nevers is a Communes of France in the Ni?vre Departments of France in central France.It is the principal city of the former Provinces of France of Nivernais....
    , France
    France

    France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
  • Odense
    Odense

    The city of Odense is the third largest city in Denmark. The name Odense comes from the Norse god Odin.Odense city has 158,163 inhabitants, as of January 1, 2008 and is the main city of the island of Funen....
    , Denmark
    Denmark

    Denmark is a Scandinavian country in northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries....
  • Worms, Germany
    Worms, Germany

    Worms is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the Rhine River. At the end of 2004, it had 85,829 inhabitants.Established by the Celts who called it Borbetomagus, Worms today remains embattled with the cities Trier and Cologne over title of "Oldest City in Germany"....
  • Nieuwleusen
    Nieuwleusen

    Nieuwleusen is a town in the Netherlands province of Overijssel with 5,913 inhabitants as of 1 January 2007. At the 2001 municipal reform, most of the former municipality of Nieuwleusen was incorporated into the municipality of Dalfsen....
    , Netherlands
    Netherlands

    The Netherlands is a country that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands is located in North-West Europe, and bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east....


In addition, there are friendship links with:
  • Sylhet
    Sylhet

    Sylhet , is a major city in north-eastern Bangladesh. It is the capital of Sylhet Division and Sylhet District. Sylhet is located on the banks of the Surma River and is surrounded by the Jaintia, Khasi and Tripura hills....
    , Bangladesh
    Bangladesh

    , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a country in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south....
  • Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom
    HMS St Albans (F83)
    HMS St Albans (F83)

    HMS St Albans is a Type 23 frigate frigate of the Royal Navy. She is the HMS St Albans to bear the name and is the sixteenth and final ship in the Duke class of frigates....


Culture


St Albans has a thriving cultural life, with regular concerts and theatre productions held at venues including St Albans Abbey, The Maltings Arts Theatre, the Alban Arena, the Abbey Theatre and St Saviour's Church, given by numerous organisations including St Albans Bach Choir, St Albans Symphony Orchestra, St Albans Chamber Choir, St Albans Chamber Opera, The Company of Ten, and St Albans Choral Society. There is also STARTS, a registered charity dedicated to raising the profile of all the arts in St Albans and enriching the city’s cultural environment. Also the Sandpit Theatre is a Theatre attached to Sandringham School which hosts a wide variety of plays throughout the year, mainly performances put on by the pupils of sandringham school.

Sport

In December 2006, Sport England
Sport England

Sport England is the brand name for the English Sports Council and is a non-departmental public body under the Department for Culture, Media and Sport known as the DCM and S....
 published a survey which revealed that residents of St Albans were the 9th most active in England in sports and other fitness activities. 26.8% of the population participate at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes.

St Albans is home to one of the country's oldest and finest indoor skateparks, the Pioneer Skatepark in Heathlands Drive, next to the former fire station. Its ramps are available to all skateboarders
Skateboarding

Skateboarding is the act of riding and performing tricks using a skateboard. A person who skateboards is most often referred to a skateboarder, skater or skate rat....
 and inliners
Inline skates

Inline skates are a type of Roller skates used for inline skating. Unlike quad skates, which are configured with two front and two rear wheels, inline skates have two, three, four or five wheels arranged in a single line....
. A new outside mini ramp was built in March 2005.

The local football team is St Albans City FC
St Albans City F.C.

St Albans City F.C. is a football club based in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. It was founded in 1908 and plays its home matches at Clarence Park , about 800 yards from the city centre....
: its stadium is on the edge of Clarence Park and the team won promotion from the Conference South
Conference South

Conference South is one of the second divisions of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National....
 League in 2005-06. It played in the Nationwide Conference
Conference National

Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system....
 Division of the Football Conference
Football Conference

The Football Conference is a association football league in Football in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South....
 for the 2006-07 season, but finished at the bottom of the table and was relegated.

St Albans Centurions
St Albans Centurions

St Albans Centurions is a rugby league club based in St Albans, Hertfordshire. Founded in 1996, they first played in various local leagues and the Rugby League Conference, and then, from 2003 to 2006, in Rugby League Conference National Division....
 rugby league
Rugby league

Rugby league football is a competitive Full-contact sport team sport played with a spheroid-shaped ball by two teams of thirteen on a rectangular grass field....
 club play at Cotlandswick, St Albans. They play in the Rugby League Conference Premier South
Rugby League Conference

The Rugby League Conference , is a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throughout England, Scotland and Wales....
 division. There is also the Old Albanian Rugby Football Club
Old Albanian Rugby Football Club

Old Albanian Rugby Football Club is a Rugby football club based in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England.The club runs up to six senior teams each week and has one of the largest Mini and Junior sections in the country....
, a rugby union
Rugby union

Rugby union is a competitive outdoor contact sport, played with an oval ball, by two teams of 15 players. It is one of the two main codes of rugby football, the other being rugby league....
 club which has a large facility known as the Old Albanian sports complex or the Woollam Playing Fields to the north of the city centre and which also hosts the main offices of the Guinness Premiership
Guinness Premiership

The English Premiership is a professional league competition for rugby union football clubs in the top division of the English rugby system. There are, at present, twelve clubs in the Premiership....
 club Saracens
Saracens F.C.

The Saracens Rugby Football Club, also known as Saracens F.C. or usually just Saracens, are a professional rugby union team based in Watford, England....
 (however, Saracens train in Hatfield
Hatfield, Hertfordshire

Hatfield, originally Bishop's Hatfield, is in the Welwyn Hatfield district of Hertfordshire, in the south of England. It forms part of the Welwyn Hatfield which also includes Welwyn Garden City and has been twinned with the The Netherlands port town of Zierikzee since 1953....
 and play home matches in Watford
Vicarage Road

Vicarage Road, a stadium in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, is the home of the football club Watford F.C. and their tenants, the Saracens F.C....
). A team and Zurich A League and OA Saints Women's Rugby Club (formally St Albans Women's RFC). St Albans RFC play at Boggymead Spring in Smallford, and Verulam Rugby Club (formerly Old Verulamians)] play in London Colney
London Colney

London Colney is a village in Hertfordshire, England. It is located to the north of London, at Junction 22 of the M25 motorway.It is near St Albans and part of the City and District of St Albans....
.

St Albans is also home to St Albans Hockey Club, based in Clarence Park
Clarence Park (St Albans)

Clarence Park is a park containing a multi-use stadium in St Albans, England. It is located close to St Albans City railway station.The park was laid out in early 1894, and comprises a municipal sports ground and a public park and pleasure ground....
. The club is represented at National league level by both women's and men's teams, as well as other local league competitions. The club's nickname is The Tangerines.

Clarence Park also plays host to St Albans Cricket Club. The club currently runs four Saturday sides, playing in the Saracens Hertfordshire Cricket League and also two Sunday sides in the Chess Valley Cricket League. In 2008 the club's 1st XI won the Hertfordshire League Title.

St Albans is additionally home to a community of traceurs from around Hertfordshire.

St Albans was once home to the then most prestigious steeplechase in England. The Great St Albans chase attracted the best horses and riders from across Britain and Ireland in the 1830s and was held in such high esteem that when it clashed with the 1837 Grand National
1837 Grand National

The 1837 Grand Liverpool Steeplechase was the second of three unofficial annual precursors of a Handicap Steeple-chase, later to become known as the Grand National Steeplechase horse race which took place at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool on 4 March 1837 and attracted a field of four runners....
 the top horses and riders chose to bypass Aintree
Aintree

Aintree is a village and civil parish in Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside. It lies between Walton, Merseyside and Maghull on the A59 road, about north of Liverpool city centre, in the northwest of England....
. Without warning the race was discontinued in 1839 and was quickly forgotten.

Schools

The secondary schools in the area are:

  • Beaumont School
    Beaumont School (St Albans)

    Beaumont School is a state maintained mixed school located in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. It recently achieved an overall rating of 'Good' from Ofsted whilst the school sixth form achieved the rating of 'Outstanding'...
  • Francis Bacon School
    Francis Bacon School

    Francis Bacon School is a mixed sex state school located in St Albans in South Hertfordshire. It is named after Sir Francis Bacon. It is a specialist school in Maths and Computing....
  • Loreto College
    Loreto College, St.Albans

    Loreto College is an 11-18 Voluntary Aided Comprehensive Catholic Girls' school located near the centre of St Albans, Hertfordshire, which achieved Specialist Status in the Humanities in 2005....
     (Roman Catholic, girls)
  • Marlborough School
    Marlborough School (St Albans)

    Marlborough School is a secondary school in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. It has specialist status as a Science College.The school has approximately 70 teachers....
  • Nicholas Breakspear School
    Nicholas Breakspear School

    Nicholas Breakspear RC School is situated on the rural fringe of St Albans, an old Roman city in Hertfordshire, England. Known popularly to its students as 'Nicky B', it is a sports college with regularly high exam results....
     (Roman Catholic)
  • Sandringham School
    Sandringham School

    Sandringham School is a secondary school in St Albans, Hertfordshire. It was established in 1988 following a merger of two local schools, Marshalswick School and Wheathampstead School....
  • St Albans Girls' School
    St Albans Girls' School

    For schools of the same name, please see St. Albans SchoolSt Albans Girls' School, usually referred to as STAGS, is a girls secondary school in St Albans, Hertfordshire....
  • Townsend School
    Townsend Church of England School

    Townsend C of E School is a voluntary aided school based in St. Albans, Hertfordshire.The school is a Church of England school, the only one in that area and the Headteacher is Mr.A.Wellbeloved BSc, PGCE....
     (Church of England)
  • Verulam School
    Verulam School

    Verulam School is a state secondary school for boys in St Albans, Hertfordshire, UK. It was founded in 1938 and was originally named St Albans Boys' Modern School....
     (boys)


Independent
  • St Albans High School for Girls
    St Albans High School for Girls

    St Albans High School is a private Church of England girls' day school founded in 1889 for girls aged 4 to 18, located in the city of St Albans, Hertfordshire with a primary school in the nearby village of Wheathampstead....
  • St Albans School
    St Albans School (Hertfordshire)

    St Albans School is a Public School and a former Direct Grant Grammar school in St Albans, England. Founded in 948 by Abbot Wulsin, St Albans School is not only the oldest school in Hertfordshire but also one of the oldest in the United Kingdom and Europe....
     (boys 11-18, girls 16-18)
  • St Columba's College
    St Columba's College, St Albans

    St Columba's College, is a Catholic church independent school for boys at King Harry Lane, St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. The school was refounded in the year 1955 by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, and is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference....
     (Roman Catholic, boys)


St Albans is the location of two campuses of Oaklands College
Oaklands College

Oaklands College is a Further education college in Hertfordshire, England in the United Kingdom....
 and of a campus of the University of Hertfordshire
University of Hertfordshire

The University of Hertfordshire is a modern university based largely in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, in the county of Hertfordshire, England, from which the university takes its name....
.

Notable people

  • Kate Allan
    Kate Allan

    Kate Allan is UK author of Perfidy and Perfection, Fateful Deception and The Restless Heart. She is co-author of The Lady Soldier with Jennifer Lindsay....
     (b. 1975), author, lived in St Albans
  • Rod Argent
    Rod Argent

    Rod Argent was a founding member of the 1960s England pop music band The Zombies and the 1970s band Argent .While at St Albans School , he met Paul Atkinson and Hugh Grundy....
     (b. 1945), musician and songwriter. The Zombies
    The Zombies

    The Zombies, formed in 1961 in St Albans, are an England Rock music band . Led by Rod Argent on piano and Colin Blunstone on vocals, the band scored US chart-topper in the mid- and late-1960s with "She's Not There", "Tell Her No", and "Time of the Season"....
     (Argent with Colin Blunstone
    Colin Blunstone

    Colin Edward Michael Blunstone is an England pop music singer/songwriter, best known as a member of the pop band The Zombies, and for his participation on various albums with the Alan Parsons Project....
    , Chris White
    Chris White (musician)

    Chris White was the bass guitarist and songwriter with the 1960s England band The Zombies.Although born in Barnet, Hertfordshire, he was brought up in Markyate where his parents owned a village shop....
    , Paul Atkinson
    Paul Atkinson (guitarist)

    Paul Atkinson - born Paul Ashley Warren Atkinson, 19 March 1946, in Cuffley, Hertfordshire and educated at St Albans School , was a pop guitarist in the legendary pop/rock band The Zombies....
     and Hugh Grundy) was formed while the members were at school in St Albans
  • Dean Austin
    Dean Austin

    Dean Austin is a former England Association football Defender . He started his career at St Albans City F.C. and went on to play for Southend United F.C., Tottenham Hotspur F.C....
    , former Spurs
    Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

    Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, , is an English professional association football club which currently plays in the Premier League. Commonly referred to as Spurs, the club's home stadium is White Hart Lane, Tottenham, in the London Borough of Haringey N postcode area....
     footballer, lives in nearby Chiswell Green
    Chiswell Green

    Chiswell Green is a village in St Albans, Hertfordshire with a population of approximately 2,800, in the City and District of St Albans.It is situated 2 miles south of St Albans on the A405 road, close to Junction 21A of the M25 motorway....
  • Francis Bacon
    Francis Bacon

    Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Alban King's Counsel , son of Nicholas Bacon by his second wife Anne Bacon, was an English philosopher, statesman, scientist, lawyer, jurist, and author....
     (1561-1626), noted philosopher, scientist and statesman, lived at Old Gorhambury House
    Old Gorhambury House

    Old Gorhambury House located near St Albans, Hertfordshire, England is an Elizabethan mansion, built in 1563-8 by Nicholas Bacon, Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, and twice visited by Queen Elizabeth I of England....
    . Bacon was also styled "Viscount St Albans" from 1618
  • Nicholas Bacon
    Nicholas Bacon

    Sir Nicholas Bacon , was an English politician during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England, notable as Lord Keeper of the Great Seal. He was the father of the philosopher and statesman Sir Francis Bacon ....
     (1509-1579), Lord Keeper of the Great Seal under Queen Elizabeth I
    Elizabeth I of England

    Elizabeth I was List of English monarchs and Queen of Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the House of Tudor....
    , built Old Gorhambury House
    Old Gorhambury House

    Old Gorhambury House located near St Albans, Hertfordshire, England is an Elizabethan mansion, built in 1563-8 by Nicholas Bacon, Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, and twice visited by Queen Elizabeth I of England....
  • James Lewis Baker (1976), record producer, artist and creative founder of Source Direct
    Source Direct

    Source Direct is a drum and bass band from St Albans in the United Kingdom, consisting of Phil Aslett and Jim Baker. Source Direct's music would best be described as dark drum and bass, with a similar sensibility to Photek, but with a slightly harder edge....
    , born and lives in St Albans
  • was based in St Albans. This was the record company that issued the Rubble series
    Rubble series

    Rubble is a 20-volume collection of compilation albums of mostly late-1960s United Kingdom psychedelic rock compiled by Bam-Caruso Records, St Albans, Herts, England by Phil Lloyd-Smee....
  • William Henry Bell (1873-1946), musician
    Musician

    A musician is a person who plays or writes music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music:* An instrumentalist plays a musical instrument....
    , composer
    Composer

    A composer is a person who creates music, usually in the medium of musical notation, for interpretation and performance. The level of distinction between composers and other musicians varies, which affects issues such as copyright and the deference given to individual interpretations of a particular piece of music....
     and first director of the South African College of Music
    South African College of Music

    The South African College of Music, abbreviated as SACM, is a department of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Cape Town....
  • Steve Blinkhorn
    Steve Blinkhorn

    Dr. Stephen F. Blinkhorn is a British Occupational psychology and psychometrician , who continues to contribute to psychology and psychometric testing....
     (b. 1949), occupational psychologist, has lived in St Albans for many years
  • Nicholas Breakspear (c.1100-1159), later Pope Adrian IV
    Pope Adrian IV

    Pope Adrian IV , born Nicholas Breakspear or Breakspeare, was Pope from 1154 to 1159.Adrian IV is the only England who has occupied the papal chair....
    , born in Abbots Langley
    Abbots Langley

    Abbots Langley is a large village in the England county of Hertfordshire. It is an old settlement and is mentioned in the Domesday Book. Economically the village is closely linked to Watford and was formerly part of the Watford Rural District....
    , attended school in St Albans
  • Cheryl Campbell
    Cheryl Campbell

    Cheryl Campbell in is an England actor of Stage , film and television....
     (b. 1949), actor
  • Paul Cattermole
    Paul Cattermole

    Paul Gerald Cattermole is an England musician from St Albans, Hertfordshire. He was previously a member of the successful pop group S Club and was the lead singer of the band Skua and latterly Charlie Bullitt until he left in October 2005....
     (b. 1977), former member of S Club 7
    S Club 7

    S Club, formerly known as S Club 7, was a pop band created by former Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller, comprising lead singer Jo O'Meara, Tina Barrett, Paul Cattermole, Jon Lee , Bradley McIntosh, Hannah Spearritt, and Rachel Stevens....
    , was born in St Albans
  • Ralph Chubb
    Ralph Chubb

    Ralph Nicholas Chubb was an England poet, Printer , and artist. Heavily influenced by Walt Whitman, William Blake, and the Romanticism, his work was the creation of a highly intricate personal mythology, one that was anti-materialist and sexually revolutionary....
     (1892-1960), eccentric lithographer
  • Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough
    Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough

    Sarah Churchill , Duchess of Marlborough rose to be one of the most influential women in British history as a result of her close friendship with Anne of Great Britain....
     (1660-1744), wife of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough
    John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough

    John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough Order of the Garter was an England soldier and statesman whose career spanned the reigns of five monarchs throughout the late 17th and early 18th centuries....
     and close friend of Queen Anne
    Anne of Great Britain

    Anne became Queen of England, Queen of Scots and Kingdom of Ireland on 8 March 1702, succeeding her brother-in-law, William III of England. Her Roman Catholic father, James II of England, was Glorious Revolution in 1688/9; her brother-in-law and her sister then became joint monarchs as William III & II and Mary II of England, the only such c...
    , was born in St Albans
  • Chris Clark
    Chris Clark (electronic musician)

    Chris Clark is an England electronic musician currently signed to Warp Records. With the 2006 release of Throttle Furniture, he shortened his artist name to Clark....
    , electronic musician, attended school in St Albans. His 2001 debut album was named Clarence Park
    Clarence Park (album)

    Clarence Park is an album by Intelligent dance music musician Chris Clark . It was released on April 2, 2001 by Warp Records.The album is named after Clarence Park , a public park in Clark's home town of St Albans....
     after the St Albans park of the same name
    Clarence Park (St Albans)

    Clarence Park is a park containing a multi-use stadium in St Albans, England. It is located close to St Albans City railway station.The park was laid out in early 1894, and comprises a municipal sports ground and a public park and pleasure ground....
    .
  • William Cowper, 1st Earl Cowper
    William Cowper, 1st Earl Cowper

    William Cowper, 1st Earl Cowper, Fellow of the Royal Society , Lord Chancellor of England, was the son of Sir William Cowper, 2nd Baronet, of Ratling Court, Kent, a British Whig Party member of parliament of some mark in the two last Stuart reigns....
     (c. 1665-1723), Lord Chancellor of England
  • Enter Shikari
    Enter Shikari

    Enter Shikari are a British post-hardcore band formed in 2003 in St Albans, Hertfordshire, where all four members are from. The band is named after the boat of one of the band member's relatives, and a character in a play Rou wrote before forming the band, both of which are named Shikari ....
    , a post-hardcore
    Post-hardcore

    Post-hardcore is a music genre that evolved from hardcore punk, itself an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement. Like post-punk, post-hardcore is a term for a broad constellation of groups who emerged from the hardcore punk scene, or took inspiration from hardcore, while concerning themselves with a wider palette of expression, closer to...
     rock band, all members born and raised in St Albans
  • Your Demise
    Your Demise

    Your Demise are a five-member hardcore punk band from St Albans, United Kingdom. Heavily influenced by bands such as Sick of it All, Agnostic Front and Hatebreed, they began in 2003 as a Suicidal Tendencies cover band....
    , a straight edge
    Straight edge

    Straight Edge refers to a lifestyle that started within the hardcore punk subculture whose adherents make a lifetime commitment to refrain from drinking alcohol, using tobacco products, and taking recreational drugs....
     hardcore punk
    Hardcore punk

    Hardcore punk is a subgenre of punk rock that originated in North America and the UK in the late 1970s. The new sound was generally thicker, heavier and faster than earlier punk rock....
     band
  • David Essex
    David Essex

    David Essex Order of the British Empire is an England actor and singer, who has enjoyed a varied show business career....
     (b. 1947), singer, lives in St Albans
  • Siobhan Fahey
    Siobhan Fahey

    Siobhan Fahey was a founding member of the 1980s United Kingdom girl group Bananarama, and later founded the musical outfit Shakespears Sister....
     (b. 1957), singer from Bananarama
    Bananarama

    Bananarama are an United Kingdom girl group who have had success on the pop and dance charts since 1982. Although there have been line-up changes during the years, the group enjoyed its most popular success as a trio, made up of lifelong friends Siobhan Fahey, Keren Woodward and Sara Dallin....
     and Shakespear's Sister, attended Loreto College
  • Les Ferdinand
    Les Ferdinand

    Leslie "Les" Ferdinand Order of the British Empire is a former England football . He is perhaps best known for his time at Queens Park Rangers F.C., Newcastle United F.C....
     (b. 1966), England footballer, lives in nearby Bricket Wood
    Bricket Wood

    Bricket Wood is a village in the county of Hertfordshire, England, approximately 4? miles from St Albans. It is part of the parish of St Stephen, Hertfordshire....
  • Friendly Fires
    Friendly Fires

    Friendly Fires are an England band from St Albans, Hertfordshire. They are currently signed to XL Recordings. Their self-titled debut album was released on 1 September 2008....
    , indie pop band from St Albans
  • Nigel Gibbs
    Nigel Gibbs

    Nigel James Gibbs , was an English people Football , who played for Watford F.C. and England U21 during his playing career. He Football positions as a Defender #Fullback....
     (b. 1965), former Watford
    Watford F.C.

    Watford Football Club is an England professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. They play in the Football League Championship....
    , footballer was born in St Albans
  • John Gosling
    John Gosling

    not to be confused with John Gostling John Gosling , is an English people classical music trained organ ist and Piano.Gosling joined The Kinks in 1970 in time for their first United States concert tour since their notorious ban....
     (b. 1948), former member of The Kinks
    The Kinks

    The Kinks are an England rock music group formed in 1963, and categorised in the US as a British Invasion band. The Kinks have been cited as one of the most important and influential rock bands of all time....
    , now teaches music at a school in St Albans
  • Edmund Beckett, 1st Baron Grimthorpe
    Edmund Beckett, 1st Baron Grimthorpe

    Edmund Beckett, 1st Baron Grimthorpe, Queen's Counsel , known previously as Sir Edmund Beckett, 5th Baronet and Edmund Beckett Denison was a lawyer, amateur horology, and architect....
     (Lord Grimthorpe) (1816-1905), lawyer
    Lawyer

    A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an Attorney at law, counsel or solicitor; a person licensed to practice fraud." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain stability, and deliver justice....
    , amateur horologist
    Horology

    Horology is the art or science of measuring time. Clocks, watches, clockwork, Sundial, Clepsydra , Timer, Time recorder and marine chronometers are all examples of Measuring instruments used to measure time....
    , and architect
    Architect

    An architect is trained and licenced in planning and designing buildings, and participates in supervising the construction of a building. Etymologically, architect derives from the Latin architectus, itself derived from the Greek arkhitekton , i.e....
    ; best-known locally for rebuilding the west front of St Albans Cathedral
    St Albans Cathedral

    St Albans Cathedral is an Church of England Cathedral church at St Albans, England. At 84 metres , its nave is the longest of any cathedral in England....
     in 1880-1885 at his own expense, but also designed Big Ben
    Clock Tower, Palace of Westminster

    Big Ben is the nickname for the great Bell of the clock at the north-eastern end of the Palace of Westminster in London. The nickname is often also used to refer to the clock and the clock tower....
    . Lived at Batchwood Hall
  • Willis Hall
    Willis Hall

    Willis Hall was an England playwright and radio and television writer who drew on his working class Leeds roots in much of his material.His most famous creation was probably Billy Liar , co-written with life-long friend and collaborator Keith Waterhouse....
     (b. 1929), playwright and TV script writer, lived in St Albans for many years and was for a while president of St Albans City F.C.
    St Albans City F.C.

    St Albans City F.C. is a football club based in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. It was founded in 1908 and plays its home matches at Clarence Park , about 800 yards from the city centre....
  • Tim Hart
    Tim Hart

    Tim Hart is a retired England folk music and multi-instrumentalist, best known as a founding member of electric folk band Steeleye Span....
     (b. 1948), musician and former guitarist in elelctric folk band Steeleye Span
    Steeleye Span

    Steeleye Span is a British electric folk band, formed in 1969 and remaining active today. Along with Fairport Convention they are amongst the best known acts of the British folk revival, and were among the most commercially successful, thanks to their hit singles Gaudete and All Around My Hat....
    , lived in St Albans and attended St Albans School.
  • John Hartson
    John Hartson

    John Hartson is a Wales former professional association football who played as a striker. He retired after being released by West Bromwich Albion in January 2008....
     (b. 1975), former Celtic
    Celtic F.C.

    The Celtic Football Club is a Scotland Association football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League....
     and AFC Wimbledon
    AFC Wimbledon

    AFC Wimbledon are a semi-professional England association football club affiliated to both the London Football Association and Surrey County Football Association Football Associations....
     football player, now playing for West Bromwich Albion, used to live in St Albans with his wife and daughter
  • Stephen Hawking
    Stephen Hawking

    Stephen William Hawking Companion of Honour, Commander of the British Empire, Fellow of the Royal Society, Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Doctor of Philosophy is a British Theoretical physics....
     (b. 1942), theoretical physicist, educated at St Albans School
    St Albans School (Hertfordshire)

    St Albans School is a Public School and a former Direct Grant Grammar school in St Albans, England. Founded in 948 by Abbot Wulsin, St Albans School is not only the oldest school in Hertfordshire but also one of the oldest in the United Kingdom and Europe....
  • Christopher Herbert
    Christopher Herbert

    Christopher William Herbert is the present Bishop of St Albans.He was born on January 7, 1944, in Lydney in the Forest of Dean. His father helped run the family road haulage business, but was also very proud of his roots as a foundryman in a local iron works....
     (b. 1944), 9th Bishop of St Albans
    Bishop of St Albans

    The Bishop of St Albans is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Saint Albans in the Province of Canterbury. The bishop is supported in his work by two suffragan bishops, the Bishop of Hertford and the Bishop of Bedford, and three archdeacons....
     1995-
  • Benny Hill
    Benny Hill

    Alfred Hawthorne "Benny" Hill , was an England comedian, actor and singer, best known for his television programme The Benny Hill Show....
     (b. 1924-1992), TV comic, lived in St Albans
  • Jimmy Hill
    Jimmy Hill

    James William Thomas "Jimmy" Hill Order of the British Empire is an England football personality. His career has taken in virtually every role in football, including player, trade union leader, coach , manager, director, chairman, television executive, presenter, analyst and even assistant referee....
     (b. 1928), iconic TV presenter and football personality, used to live in St Albans
  • Ian Holloway
    Ian Holloway

    Ian Scott Holloway is an England football manager and retired midfielder....
     (b. 1963), Plymouth Argyle
    Plymouth Argyle F.C.

    Plymouth Argyle Football Club, commonly known as Argyle, or the Pilgrims, is an English professional football club and is one of only two clubs in the Football League to play in a principally green home strip....
     manager, used to live in St Albans
  • Matthew Holness
    Matthew Holness

    Matthew Holness is an England comedian and actor. Hailing from Whitstable in Kent, Holness read English literature at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where he was vice-president of the Cambridge Footlights....
    , English comedian
    Comedian

    A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain members of an audience, primarily by making them laughter. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy....
     better known as Garth Marenghi
    Garth Marenghi

    Garth Marenghi is a fictional horror author created by English people comedians Matthew Holness and Richard Ayoade, and played by Holness. To date, the character has appeared in two stage shows, the Perrier Award-nominated Garth Marenghi's Fright Knight and Perrier Award-winning Garth Marenghi's Netherhead, and the Channel 4 TV series...
    , lives in St Albans
  • Alan Hyman, English jurisprudence
    Jurisprudence

    Jurisprudence is the theory and philosophy of law. Scholars of jurisprudence, or legal philosophers, hope to obtain a deeper understanding of the nature of law, of legal reasoning, legal systems and of legal institutions....
     expert and academic was educated at Beaumont School in St Albans
  • Kurt Jackson
    Kurt Jackson

    Kurt Jackson is an England painter whose large canvases reflect a concern with natural history, ecology and environmental issues. Born in Blandford, Dorset, he developed an early interest in natural history and landscape....
    , artist, lived in St Albans and attended Francis Bacon School
    Francis Bacon School

    Francis Bacon School is a mixed sex state school located in St Albans in South Hertfordshire. It is named after Sir Francis Bacon. It is a specialist school in Maths and Computing....
     as a teenager
  • Jeffrey John
    Jeffrey John

    Jeffrey Philip Hywel John, Society of Catholic Priests, is a Church of England cleric and the current Dean of St Albans Cathedral. He made headlines in 2003 when he was the first person to have openly been in a gay relationship to be nominated as a Church of England bishop....
     (b. 1953), Dean
    Dean (religion)

    A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Anglican Communion and the Catholic Church....
     of St Albans 2004-
  • Stanley Kubrick
    Stanley Kubrick

    Stanley Kubrick was an influential American-British filmmaker, screenwriter, Film producer and photographer. He directed a number of highly acclaimed and often controversial films....
     (1928-1999), film auteur
    Auteur

    The term auteur is used to describe film directors who are considered to have a distinctive, recognizable style, because they repeatedly return to the same subject matter, habitually address a particular psychological or moral theme, employ a recurring visual and aesthetic style, or demonstrate any combination of the above....
    , resided in Childwickbury Manor
    Childwickbury Manor

    Childwick Bury Manor is a Manor house in Hertfordshire, England, between St Albans and Harpenden. Previous owners were the Lomax family who bought the house in 1666 and who lived there until 1854 when Joshua Lomax sold it to Henry Hayman Toulmin, a wealthy ship owner and High Sheriff of Hertfordshire and mayor of St Albans....
    , to the north-west of the town, from 1978 until his death
  • Stephen Lander
    Stephen Lander

    Sir Stephen Lander, Order of the Bath is the chair of the United Kingdom's Serious Organised Crime Agency. He served as Director general of MI5 of the British Security Service from 1996 to 2002....
     (b. 1947), former head of MI5
    MI5

    The Security Service, commonly known as MI5 , is the United Kingdom counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of the intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service , Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence Intelligence Staff ....
    , has lived in St Albans for many years
  • Jules Levy (b. 1973), musician and songwriter. Lived and schooled in St Albans. Founding member of Bandwagon musical collective
  • Christopher Lewis
    Christopher Andrew Lewis

    The Very Reverend Christopher Andrew Lewis is Dean of Christ Church, Oxford....
     (b. 1944), Dean
    Dean (religion)

    A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Anglican Communion and the Catholic Church....
     of St Albans 1994-2003
  • Philip Madoc
    Philip Madoc

    Philip Madoc is a Welsh people actor who has had many television and film roles.Perhaps his most famous role was as the title character in the BBC Wales drama The Life and Times of David Lloyd George....
     (b. 1934), actor, lives locally and is patron of three local organisations: Best Theatre Arts, The Abbey Theatre and St Albans Movie Makers
  • John Mandeville
    John Mandeville

    "Jehan de Mandeville", translated as "Sir John Mandeville", is the name claimed by the compiler of a singular book of supposed travels, written in Anglo-Norman language, and published between 1357 and 1371....
     (14th century), compiler of a singular book of supposed travels, allegedly born in St Albans
  • Nigel Marven
    Nigel Marven

    Nigel Marven is a British wildlife presenter, television producer, author, and ornithologist....
    , television wildlife presenter, notably on Discovery Channel
    Discovery Channel

    The Discovery Channel is an United States satellite and cable TV channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications....
     and ITV
    ITV

    ITV is a public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom television network of British television broadcasters, set up under the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC....
    , was bought up in St Albans and attended Francis Bacon School
    Francis Bacon School

    Francis Bacon School is a mixed sex state school located in St Albans in South Hertfordshire. It is named after Sir Francis Bacon. It is a specialist school in Maths and Computing....
  • Arthur Melbourne-Cooper
    Arthur Melbourne-Cooper

    Arthur Melbourne-Cooper was a British film maker who witnessed the birth of the movies as an assistant/cameraman of Birt Acres who, in 1895, developed the first British 35 mm moving picture camera....
     (1874-1961), British film maker. Pioneer and innovator of the movie industry. Born in St Albans
  • Michael Morpurgo
    Michael Morpurgo

    Michael Andrew Bridge Morpurgo Order of the British Empire Fellowship of King's College London is an England author, poet, playwright and librettist, best known for his work in children's literature....
     (b. 1943), author, was born in St Albans
  • Albert Moses
    Albert Moses

    Albert Moses is a UK based Sri Lankan actor born in Kandy, Sri Lanka. He started acting over 30 years ago in India where he appeared in 7 films....
     (b. 1937), actor, producer and director, and star of British sitcom Mind Your Language
    Mind Your Language

    Mind Your Language is a British sitcom, that premiered on ITV in late 1977. Produced by LWT and directed by Stuart Allen, it is set in a school for adult students in London, focusing on the English as an additional language class taught by Mr....
    , lives in St Albans
  • John Motson
    John Motson

    John Walker Motson Order of the British Empire , sometimes known as Motty, is an English football commentator....
     (b. 1945), football commentator, lived in St Albans (now lives in Harpenden
    Harpenden

    Harpenden is a town in the City and District of St Albans of Hertfordshire in the South East England. It lies on the A1081 road, north of St Albans....
    )
  • Herbert Mundin
    Herbert Mundin

    Herbert Mundin was an England-born Hollywood character actor. He was frequently typecast in films as older cheeky eccentrics, a type helped by his jowelled features and cheerful Cockney disposition....
     (1898-1939), Hollywood
    Hollywood, Los Angeles, California

    Hollywood is a district in Los Angeles, California, situated west-northwest of Downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word "Hollywood" is often used as a metonym of cinema of the United States....
     character actor, lived in St Albans from a young age and educated at St Albans School
    St Albans School (Hertfordshire)

    St Albans School is a Public School and a former Direct Grant Grammar school in St Albans, England. Founded in 948 by Abbot Wulsin, St Albans School is not only the oldest school in Hertfordshire but also one of the oldest in the United Kingdom and Europe....
  • Roger Neighbour, doctor, communication expert, author and former President of the Royal College of General Practitioners
  • Mike Newell
    Mike Newell (director)

    Michael Cormac "Mike" Newell is an England film director and producer of motion pictures for the screen and for television....
     (b. 1942), film director (incl. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), used to live in St Albans and attended St Albans School
    St Albans School (Hertfordshire)

    St Albans School is a Public School and a former Direct Grant Grammar school in St Albans, England. Founded in 948 by Abbot Wulsin, St Albans School is not only the oldest school in Hertfordshire but also one of the oldest in the United Kingdom and Europe....
  • Ayan Panja
    Ayan Panja

    Dr Ayan Panja is a United Kingdom Asian people media Physician and writer.A presenter on Street Doctor on BBC One, and an occasional radio contributor for BBC Asian Network and local radio, his special interests include preventative and mind-body medicine, as well as mens health....
     (b. 1973), media doctor and writer, presenter on Street Doctor
    Street Doctor

    Street Doctor is a prime time health series which was first shown in January 2007 on BBC One.The brave yet honest format involves four General practitioners who take to the streets to diagnose, advise and treat people wherever they might be - at work or out and about....
     on BBC1
  • Matthew Paris
    Matthew Paris

    Matthew Paris was a Benedictine monk, English historians in the Middle Ages, artist in illuminated manuscripts and cartographer, based at St Albans Cathedral in Hertfordshire....
     (c.1200-1259), Benedictine
    Benedictine

    Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy....
     monk, chronicler of the history of St Albans Abbey
    St Albans Cathedral

    St Albans Cathedral is an Church of England Cathedral church at St Albans, England. At 84 metres , its nave is the longest of any cathedral in England....
  • Rupert Parkes (b. 1972) a.k.a. Photek
    Photek

    Photek is Rupert Parkes , a Los Angeles-based record producer and DJ. He joined the drum and bass scene relatively early , and is still one of its most respected players....
    , record producer and DJ
    Disc jockey

    A disc jockey is a person who selects and plays sound recording for an audience. Originally, disk referred to phonograph records, while disc refers to the Compact Disc, and has become the more common spelling....
    , was born in St Albans
  • Allan Prior
    Allan Prior

    Allan Prior was an England television script writer and novelist, with over 300 television scripts to his name since the 1950s.He was founder-writer of influential police drama Z Cars with Troy Kennedy Martin and wrote five of the first ten episodes and a total of 136 episodes for Z Cars and spin-off series Softly, Softly ....
     (1922-2006), TV script writer, co-creator of Z Cars and writer of The Charmer and father of Maddy Prior
    Maddy Prior

    Maddy Prior is an England folk singer....
     (b. 1947), lived in St Albans (and Maddy grew up here)
  • Chris Read
    Chris Read

    Christopher Mark Wells Read is an English cricketer, a wicket-keeper. Despite being continually ranked as one of the most successful keepers in English cricket with an average of over 30, and having greater success with the bat than many of the competing keepers, Read has enjoyed only patchy periods of selection for the national team, but co...
     (b.1978), England
    England

    native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
     Test cricket
    Test cricket

    Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. It has long been considered the ultimate test of playing ability between cricketing nations....
     wicket-keeper
    Wicket-keeper

    File:Stumping edited.jpgThe wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding who stands behind the wicket being guarded by the batsman currently on strike....
    , lives in St Albans
  • Tim Rice
    Tim Rice

    Sir Timothy Miles Bindon Rice is an English Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Tony Award and Grammy Award-winning lyricist, author, radio personality and television gameshow panellist....
     (b. 1944), lyricist, attended St Albans School
    St Albans School (Hertfordshire)

    St Albans School is a Public School and a former Direct Grant Grammar school in St Albans, England. Founded in 948 by Abbot Wulsin, St Albans School is not only the oldest school in Hertfordshire but also one of the oldest in the United Kingdom and Europe....
  • Ian Ridley
    Ian Ridley

    Ian Ridley was an Australian rules footballer who played for Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League.Ridley was a rover who was handy around goals and a 5 time premiership player with Melbourne....
    , chief football writer of The Mail on Sunday
    The Mail on Sunday

    The Mail on Sunday is a United Kingdom newspaper, currently published in a tabloid newspaper format. First published in 1982 by Vere Harmsworth, 3rd Viscount Rothermere, it is Britain's second biggest-selling Sunday newspaper after The News of the World....
    , lives in St Albans and is on the board of St Albans City F.C.
    St Albans City F.C.

    St Albans City F.C. is a football club based in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. It was founded in 1908 and plays its home matches at Clarence Park , about 800 yards from the city centre....
  • Jim Rodford
    Jim Rodford

    Jim Rodford is a musician who played with The Kinks, The Swinging Blue Jeans and was a founding member of Argent .In the late 1950s, and early 1960s he was a member of The Bluetones, the biggest band in St Albans at the time....
     (b. 1941), musician, member of Argent
    Argent (band)

    Argent were an England Rock music Musical ensemble founded in 1969 by keyboardist Rod Argent, formerly of The Zombies.The first three demo from Argent, recorded in the autumn of 1968 featured Mac MacLeod on bass guitar....
     and The Kinks
    The Kinks

    The Kinks are an England rock music group formed in 1963, and categorised in the US as a British Invasion band. The Kinks have been cited as one of the most important and influential rock bands of all time....
     and cousin of Rod Argent
    Rod Argent

    Rod Argent was a founding member of the 1960s England pop music band The Zombies and the 1970s band Argent .While at St Albans School , he met Paul Atkinson and Hugh Grundy....
  • James Runcie
    James Runcie

    The Hon. James Runcie is a United Kingdom novelist, documentary film-maker, television producer and theatre director.Runcie is the son of Robert Runcie, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, and Rosalind Runcie....
    , author, film maker, and son of Robert Runcie, lives in St Albans
  • Robert Runcie
    Robert Runcie

    Robert Alexander Kennedy Runcie, Baron Runcie of Cuddesdon Military Cross Privy Council of the United Kingdom was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1980 to 1991....
     (1921-2000), Bishop of St Albans
    Bishop of St Albans

    The Bishop of St Albans is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Saint Albans in the Province of Canterbury. The bishop is supported in his work by two suffragan bishops, the Bishop of Hertford and the Bishop of Bedford, and three archdeacons....
     1970-1980, later Archbishop of Canterbury
    Archbishop of Canterbury

    The Archbishop of Canterbury is the chief bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the Diocesan Bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury, the Episcopal see that churches must be in communion with in order to be a part of the Anglican Communion....
     1980-1991. Now buried in the grounds of St. Albans Cathedral.
  • Samuel Ryder
    Samuel Ryder

    Samuel Ryder was an England entrepreneur and golf enthusiast. He originated the idea of selling garden seeds in "penny packets" and built a very successful business on the concept....
     (1858-1936), seed merchant, founder of the Ryder Cup
    Ryder Cup

    The Ryder Cup is a golf trophy, donated by Samuel Ryder, which is awarded biennially in an event called the "Ryder Cup Matches" between teams from Europe and the United States of America....
  • Saving Aimee
    Saving Aimee

    SAVING AIMEE are a British people Pop music band from Hertfordshire, England.The band formed in November 2005, but only taking it seriously as a career in mid 2006....
     a pop-rock band from St Albans.
  • George Gilbert Scott
    George Gilbert Scott

    Sir George Gilbert Scott was an England architect of the Victorian Age, chiefly associated with the design, building and renovation of Church , cathedrals and workhouses....
     (1811-1878), Gothic Revival architect, restored St Albans Abbey
    St Albans Cathedral

    St Albans Cathedral is an Church of England Cathedral church at St Albans, England. At 84 metres , its nave is the longest of any cathedral in England....
     1856-1877
  • John Sessions
    John Sessions

    John Gibb Marshall , better known by the stage name John Sessions, is a Scotland actor and comedian. He is known for comedy improvisation in television shows such as Whose Line Is It Anyway?; as a panelist on QI and as a character actor in numerous films, both in Britain and Hollywood....
     (b. 1953), actor and comedian, attended St Albans Boys' Grammar School
    Verulam School

    Verulam School is a state secondary school for boys in St Albans, Hertfordshire, UK. It was founded in 1938 and was originally named St Albans Boys' Modern School....
     (now Verulam School) and is a patron of St Albans Arts, along with Maddy Prior
    Maddy Prior

    Maddy Prior is an England folk singer....
  • Gilberto Silva
    Gilberto Silva

    Gilberto Aparecido da Silva , commonly known as Gilberto Silva , is a Brazilian football . He currently plays for the Greece club Panathinaikos F.C., as a Midfielder#Defensive midfielder....
     (b. 1976), Brazil
    Brazil

    Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the List of countries by population country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world....
    ian footballer who played for Arsenal FC, used to live in St Albans
  • Jonathan Stroud
    Jonathan Stroud

    Jonathan Anthony Stroud is an author of fantasy books, mainly for children and youths....
     (b. 1970), author of the bestselling Bartimaeus Trilogy
    Bartimaeus Trilogy

    The Bartimaeus Trilogy is a fantasy series by Jonathan Stroud and was published as a series of three novels between 2003 and 2005.The three novels are:...
    , lives in St Albans
  • Justin Somper
    Justin Somper

    Justin Somper is the United Kingdom author of the children's novel series Vampirates.He was born in St Albans and graduated from University of Warwick....
     (b.?), author of the Vampirates trilogy, was born in St. Albans
  • Cuthbert Thicknesse (1887-1971), 4th Dean
    Dean (religion)

    A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Anglican Communion and the Catholic Church....
     of St Albans Cathedral
    St Albans Cathedral

    St Albans Cathedral is an Church of England Cathedral church at St Albans, England. At 84 metres , its nave is the longest of any cathedral in England....
     1936-1955, objected to the use of nuclear weapons in August 1945 by refusing to let the cathedral's bells be rung on VJ Day
  • Ulsinus
    Wulsin (Abbot Ulsinus)

    Wulsin was a tenth century Abbot of St Albans Cathedral, England, and, according to the 13th century chronicler Matthew Paris, founded St Albans School there in 948 which is still active....
     (fl. 10th century), Abbot of St Albans Abbey
    St Albans Cathedral

    St Albans Cathedral is an Church of England Cathedral church at St Albans, England. At 84 metres , its nave is the longest of any cathedral in England....
    , reputed founder in 948 of St Albans School
    St Albans School (Hertfordshire)

    St Albans School is a Public School and a former Direct Grant Grammar school in St Albans, England. Founded in 948 by Abbot Wulsin, St Albans School is not only the oldest school in Hertfordshire but also one of the oldest in the United Kingdom and Europe....
    , and St Michael's
    Church of St. Michael, St. Albans

    St Michael's Church in St Albans is a parish church in the Church of England....
    , St Peter's
    Church of St Peter, St. Albans

    St Peter's Church in St Albans, England, is a parish church in the Church of England....
     and St Stephen's
    St. Stephen's Church, St. Albans

    St Stephen's Church in St Albans, England, is a parish church in the Church of England....
     churches
  • Richard of Wallingford
    Richard of Wallingford

    Richard of Wallingford was an English people mathematician who made major contributions to astronomy/astrology and horology while serving as abbot of St Albans Abbey in Hertfordshire....
     (1292-1336), Abbot of St Albans Abbey
    St Albans Cathedral

    St Albans Cathedral is an Church of England Cathedral church at St Albans, England. At 84 metres , its nave is the longest of any cathedral in England....
    , mathematician
    Mathematician

    A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study and/or research is the field of mathematics....
    , horologist
    Horology

    Horology is the art or science of measuring time. Clocks, watches, clockwork, Sundial, Clepsydra , Timer, Time recorder and marine chronometers are all examples of Measuring instruments used to measure time....
     and astronomer
    Astronomer

    An astronomer is a scientist who studies Celestial body such as planets, stars, and Galaxy.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using physical laws....
  • Charles Williams
    Charles Williams (UK writer)

    Charles Walter Stansby Williams was a British poet, novelist, theologian, literary critic, and a member of the Inklings....
     (1886-1945), writer and publisher, lived in St Albans 1894-1917 and attended St Albans School
    St Albans School (Hertfordshire)

    St Albans School is a Public School and a former Direct Grant Grammar school in St Albans, England. Founded in 948 by Abbot Wulsin, St Albans School is not only the oldest school in Hertfordshire but also one of the oldest in the United Kingdom and Europe....
  • Graham Frederick Young
    Graham Frederick Young

    Graham Frederick Young was a United Kingdom murderer who fatally poisoned three people as well as administering smaller doses to scores of others....
     (1947-1990), the infamous "Teacup Poisoner", tried at St Albans Crown Court in 1972
  • Yevgeny Zamyatin
    Yevgeny Zamyatin

    Yevgeny Ivanovich Zamyatin was a Russian author, most famous for his 1921 in literature novel We , a story of dystopian future which influenced George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, Ayn Rand's Anthem , Ursula Le Guin?s The Dispossessed and, indirectly, Kurt Vonnegut's Player Piano ....
     (1884-1937), novelist, lived in Fleetville after the Russian Revolution. His 1921 novel We
    We (novel)

    We is a dystopian novel by Yevgeny Zamyatin completed in 1921 in literature.It was written in response to the author's personal experiences with the Russian revolutions of Russian revolution of 1905 and Russian Revolution of 1917, his life in the Newcastle upon Tyne suburb of Jesmond and work in the River Tyne, England shipyards at nea...
    , a story of a dystopian future which influenced George Orwell
    George Orwell

    Eric Arthur Blair , better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an England author. His work is marked by a profound consciousness of social injustice, an intense dislike of totalitarianism, and a passion for clarity in language....
    's Nineteen Eighty-Four
    Nineteen Eighty-Four

    Nineteen Eighty-Four is a classic utopian and dystopian fiction by English author George Orwell. Published in 1949 in literature, it is set in the eponymous year and focuses on a repressive, totalitarian regime....
    , Ayn Rand
    Ayn Rand

    Ayn Rand , was a Russian-American novelist, philosopher, playwright, and screenwriter. She is known for her best-selling novels and for developing a philosophical system called Objectivism ....
    's Anthem
    Anthem (novella)

    Anthem is a dystopian fiction novella by Ayn Rand, first published in 1938. It takes place at some unspecified future date when mankind has entered another dark age as a result of the evils of irrationality and collectivism and the weaknesses of socialism thinking and Socialist economics....
    , and Aldous Huxley
    Aldous Huxley

    Aldous Leonard Huxley was an English writer and one of the most prominent members of the famous Huxley family. He spent the later part of his life in the United States, living in Los Angeles from 1937 until his death in 1963....
    's Brave New World
    Brave New World

    Brave New World is a novel by Aldous Huxley, written in 1931 in literature and published in 1932 in literature. Set in the London of AD 2540 , the novel anticipates developments in reproductive technology and sleep-learning that combine to change society....
    , was influenced by his experiences in Hertfordshire


Trivia

  • The Royal Navy
    Royal Navy

    The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British Armed Forces . From the mid-18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early 1940s....
     has used six vessels with the name HMS St Albans
    HMS St Albans

    Six ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS St Albans after the English town of St Albans:*HMS St Albans was a 50-gun fourth rate ship of the line launched in 1687....
    . As the current vessel is a Duke Class Type 23 frigate
    Type 23 frigate

    The Type 23 frigate is a ship class of frigate serving with the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. All the ships are named after List of dukes in the peerages of the British Isles, thus the class is also known as the Duke class....
    , its name is taken from the Duke of St Albans
    Duke of St Albans

    The title Duke of St Albans was created in the Peerage of England in 1684 for the Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St Albans when he was fourteen years old....
    , rather than the city.
  • The first meeting of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA)
    Campaign for Real Ale

    The Campaign for Real Ale is an independent, Volunteer, consumer organisation based in St Albans, England, whose main aims are promoting real ale and the traditional United Kingdom public house....
     was held in St Albans on 20th November 1972, at the Farriers Arms pub which has a blue plaque
    Blue plaque

    In the United Kingdom, a blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person or event....
     commemorating the event. The organisation still has its head office in Hatfield Road. The local branch holds an annual beer
    Beer

    Beer is the world's oldest and most widely consumed alcoholic beverage and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and Fermentation of starches, mainly derived from cereal?the most common of which is malted barley, although wheat, maize , and rice are widely used....
     festival in St Albans. In recent years this has been a four day event starting on a Wednesday near the end of September.
  • An experimental water tank was built alongside London Road, St Albans for the Vickers
    Vickers

    Vickers was a famous name in British engineering that existed through many companies from 1828 until 2004....
     shipbuilding company in 1912 on a site measuring by . Three years later in 1915, the first private wind tunnel
    Wind tunnel

    A wind tunnel is a research tool developed to assist with studying the effects of air moving over or around solid objects.Ways that wind-speed and flow are measured in wind tunnels:...
     was also built here, but moved to their Weybridge
    Weybridge

    Not to be confused with Wadebridge, Cornwall, or weighbridgeWeybridge is a town in the Elmbridge district of Surrey in South East England....
     works shortly after the First World War
    World War I

    World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers....
    . From December 1918 the test tank was used in developing fuselage profiles for amphibious aircraft
    Amphibious aircraft

    An amphibious or amphibian aircraft is an aircraft that can take off and land on either land or water. Amphibious aircraft are typically flying boats and floatplanes with retractable wheels....
    , such as the Vickers Type 54 Viking
    Vickers Viking

    The Vickers Viking was a United Kingdom single-engined amphibious aircraft designed for military use shortly after World War I....
    , completed during 1919.
  • The 1957 April Fool's Day spoof edition of BBC documentary series Panorama
    Panorama (TV series)

    Panorama is the longest-running current affairs documentary film series in the world. Launched on 11 November 1953 on BBC One, it focuses on investigative journalism....
    , which dealt with the fictitious Swiss spaghetti harvest
    Spaghetti tree

    The spaghetti tree is a fictitious tree and the subject of a 3-minute spoof report on the Swiss spaghetti harvest beside Lake Lugano broadcast by the BBC current affairs programme Panorama ....
    , was filmed partly at the (now closed) Pasta Foods factory on London Road, St Albans.
  • The 2001 film Birthday Girl
    Birthday Girl

    Birthday Girl is a 2001 in film United Kingdom Film Four-backed film featuring Nicole Kidman as a Russian mail-order bride. It is directed by Jez Butterworth and stars Ben Chaplin and Vincent Cassel....
    , featuring Nicole Kidman
    Nicole Kidman

    Nicole Mary Kidman, Order of Australia is an Academy Award-winning Hawaiian-born Australian actress, fashion model, singer, United Nations Citizen of the World award-winning humanitarian, and a UNIFEM and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador....
     and Ben Chaplin
    Ben Chaplin

    Ben Chaplin is an England actor....
    , is set in St Albans.
  • From 1808 to 1814 St Albans hosted a station in the shutter telegraph chain which connected the Admiralty in London
    London

    London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
     to its naval ships in the port of Great Yarmouth
    Great Yarmouth

    Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, 20 miles east of Norwich....
    .
  • Chiswell Green
    Chiswell Green

    Chiswell Green is a village in St Albans, Hertfordshire with a population of approximately 2,800, in the City and District of St Albans.It is situated 2 miles south of St Albans on the A405 road, close to Junction 21A of the M25 motorway....
    , directly south of the City, is home to the Royal National Rose Society
    Royal National Rose Society

    The Royal National Rose Society is dedicated to the cultivation and appreciation of roses. It was founded in 1876 and is based in St Albans in England....
    .
  • A number of places across the world are named after the City of St Albans, most notably in Australia
    Australia

    Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
    , New Zealand
    New Zealand

    New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous Islands of New Zealand, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands....
     & the United States
    United States

    The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
    .
  • St Albans was the name of a planet in the cult science-fiction television series Firefly
    Firefly (TV series)

    Firefly is an American science fiction television series created by writer/director Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel , under his Mutant Enemy Productions....
    .
  • In September 2007, St Albans replaced Mayfair as the most expensive square on a special UK Here and Now Edition Monopoly
    Monopoly (game)

    Monopoly is a board game published by Parker Brothers, a subsidiary of Hasbro. Players compete to acquire wealth through stylized economics activity involving the buying, renting, and trading of property using play money, as players take turns moving around the board according to the roll of the dice....
     board, having won an internet vote.
  • Until recently, St Albans was noted for having the most pubs per square mile in Britain.
  • The ] the trade association for all of the UK's community pharmacies, is based in St Peter's Street, St Albans.


See also

  • St Albans (UK Parliament constituency)
    St Albans (UK Parliament constituency)

    St Albans is a United Kingdom constituencies represented in the British House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Established in 1885, it is a county constituency in Hertfordshire, and elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election; between 1554 and 1852 there was a parliamentary borough of the s...
  • Sopwell Priory
    Sopwell Priory

    Sopwell Priory was built c. 1140 in Hertfordshire, England by the Benedictine order abbot of St Albans Abbey, Geoffrey de Gorham. It was founded as the Priory of St Mary of Sopwell and was a cell of St Albans Abbey....
  • Sopwell House
    Sopwell House

    Sopwell House is an historic country house, now a 128 room luxury hotel, situated just south of St Albans, Hertfordshire , England. It has gained fame as the gathering place for the England national football team before international football events....


Nearby towns & villages

  • Abbots Langley
    Abbots Langley

    Abbots Langley is a large village in the England county of Hertfordshire. It is an old settlement and is mentioned in the Domesday Book. Economically the village is closely linked to Watford and was formerly part of the Watford Rural District....
  • Borehamwood
    Borehamwood

    Borehamwood is a town in southern Hertfordshire, situated 16 miles / 25km north of London. It is part of the borough of Hertsmere within the London commuter belt....
  • Bricket Wood
    Bricket Wood

    Bricket Wood is a village in the county of Hertfordshire, England, approximately 4? miles from St Albans. It is part of the parish of St Stephen, Hertfordshire....
  • Chiswell Green
    Chiswell Green

    Chiswell Green is a village in St Albans, Hertfordshire with a population of approximately 2,800, in the City and District of St Albans.It is situated 2 miles south of St Albans on the A405 road, close to Junction 21A of the M25 motorway....
  • Colney Street
    Colney Street

    Colney Street is a village in the England county of Hertfordshire.It lies on the A5183 road, this was formerly the A5 road and, before that, Roman Britain's Watling Street....
  • Elstree
    Elstree

    Elstree is a village in the Hertsmere borough of Hertfordshire on the A5 road , north of London. It forms part of the civil parish of Elstree and Borehamwood ....
  • Frogmore
  • Harpenden
    Harpenden

    Harpenden is a town in the City and District of St Albans of Hertfordshire in the South East England. It lies on the A1081 road, north of St Albans....
  • Hatfield
    Hatfield, Hertfordshire

    Hatfield, originally Bishop's Hatfield, is in the Welwyn Hatfield district of Hertfordshire, in the south of England. It forms part of the Welwyn Hatfield which also includes Welwyn Garden City and has been twinned with the The Netherlands port town of Zierikzee since 1953....
  • Hemel Hempstead
    Hemel Hempstead

    Hemel Hempstead is a town in Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom with a population of 81,143 at the United Kingdom Census 2001 . Developed after World War II as a new town, it has existed as a settlement since the 8th century....
  • Jersey Farm
    Jersey Farm

    Jersey Farm is a district of St Albans situated approximately 2 miles north-east of the city centre. It is largely surrounded by countryside and is 'attached' to St Albans by the district of Marshalswick to its south-west....
  • London Colney
    London Colney

    London Colney is a village in Hertfordshire, England. It is located to the north of London, at Junction 22 of the M25 motorway.It is near St Albans and part of the City and District of St Albans....
  • Luton
    Luton

    Luton is a large town in the East of England England, 32 miles north of London. Historically, Luton is within the county of Bedfordshire, and since 1997, the town has been a unitary authority....
  • Park Street
    Park Street, Hertfordshire

    Park Street is a village near St Albans, Hertfordshire....
  • Radlett
    Radlett

    Radlett is a large village located north of London in the county of Hertfordshire between St Albans and Elstree on Watling Street with a population of approximately 8,000....
  • Redbourn
    Redbourn

    Redbourn is a village in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, lying on Watling Street, roughly 5 miles from St Albans, Hemel Hempstead and Markyate, and 3 miles from Harpenden....
  • St Stephens
    St Stephens, Hertfordshire

    St Stephens is a former village which lies at the bottom of Holywell Hill in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England.It is named after the 10th century St....
  • Watford
    Watford

    Watford is a town and Non-metropolitan district in Hertfordshire, England, situated 19 miles northwest of London and within the bounds of the M25 motorway....
  • sandridge
    Sandridge

    Sandridge is a small village between St Albans and Wheathampstead in Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom....


External links

  • Diocesan House, St Albans
    Diocesan House, St Albans

    Diocesan House is located in Verulam Road, St Albans on the northern side between Church Crescent and Britton Avenue opposite College Street ....
  • Verulam House, St Albans
    Verulam House, St Albans

    Verulam House is located in Verulam Road, St Albans AL3 4DH on the northwestern side between Church Crescent and Britton Avenue opposite College Street....