St. Albans in Brief

The town of St Albans began even earlier than most people believe, as an iron age settlement named Verlamion. After the Romans turned up, they developed it into a city of their own and Latinized its name into the more familiar Verulamium. Its current name comes from the first Christian martyr in England.

Boudicca, Queen of the Iceni

One thing I personally find most interesting about the town relates to Boudicca, Queen of the Iceni. Verulamium was among the towns she destroyed in her uprising of c.60AD. Almost two thousand years on, the soil still has a high ash content as a result of how much burning she did.

Nicholas Breakspear

The other episode that most interests me in the history of the town concerns a man called Nicholas Breakspear, who was born there and applied to become a monk at the abbey. He was rejected. Apparently this future Pope wasn’t particularly suited to that kind of thing…