St. Albans Cathedral and Verulamium Park.

St. Albans Cathedral.

Today I made a visit to the Cathedral and Abbey Church of Saint Alban.  Entry is free but as always, donations are welcomed.  Inside you get a real sense of the history of the building from the fading pictures on  the walls, to the beautiful hand-made tapestries that depict the history of the cathedral.  It is only slightly let down by the fact that the chandeliers are now electric.  The cathedral bells still sound pretty good.  After the clock chimed for midday they played quite a nice clear tune.  I'm not sure exactly what it was but it sounded a bit like 'When the Saints go Marching In.'  Abbot's Kitchen is also open at the cathedral for lunch or afternoon tea.

Verulamium Park.

After my trip around the cathedral, I went for a walk around Verulamium Park.  The lake is teeming with wildlife, mainly various species of ducks, swans and even the occasional heron.  Throwing bread to the ducks is not advised but you can buy grain for them from the Park Inn.  There is also a splash park, children's playground and sports area nearby.  Refreshments are also available seven days a week.

Roman Wall.

As well as enjoying some of St. Albans' beautiful countryside, there are also some ancient Roman sights to look out for such as walls and theatres.  On a nice warm, sunny day like what I had today, Verulamium Park is not a bad way to spend a day.





If you are looking for a nice place to eat, then I would definitely recommend Bakehouse St. Albans.  It is a very nice, quirky little bakery and eatery tucked away in a small parade of independent shops just behind the cathedral.  The interior has a very traditional English feel to it.  Every table has a small plant on it, sitting in empty jars of Marmite or English mustard.  Nice little touches that add to the simple elegance of the place.  The food is homemade on the premises including a vast range of cakes, salads and pastries.  I tried the Lemon Drizzle Cake (made by Hannah) and it was one of the best I have ever had.  The sponge was soft, moist and only slightly tangy, served with a fresh raspberry on top.  It went down very well with my latte.  The staff were all very warm and friendly.  I would definitely recommend it to anyone visiting the area.  Just be warned that it isn't cheap, although the quality of the food is definitely worth the price.

Bakehouse St. Albans.