Perhaps one of the highlights of Hertfordshire has to be the town of St Albans and the magnficent Cathedral. Well worth a visit after your trip to Canonbury Antiques' Hertfordshire showroom. St Albans is only ten minutes down the road and is packed with history and great things to do. St Albans also has extensive Roman ruins - in fact the town is also sometimes referred to by it's Roman name Verulamium - including a villa and a theatre.
(Above photo - St Albans Antiques at Canonbury Antiques Hertfordshire)
After browsing antiques and decorative interiors at the Canonbury Antiques showroom you can stop of at the St Albans Cathedral. The cathedral is the oldest place of continuous Christian worship in Britain and is named after the marty Alban who was killed by the Romans for his religious views. Alban lived in Verulamium during the 3rd or 4th centuries. The exact date of Alban's execution is not entirely clear, the Anglo Saxon Chronicle lists it as the year 283 although Bede dates it to 305. The site of his execution by beheading is now considered to be the place the Cathedral stands.
(Above photo - Inside St Albans Cathedral Canonbury Antiques )
St Alban's cathedral is also often referred to locally as The Abbey - the first recorded date of the structure was in 793 when a double monastery was said to be founded by Offa II of Mercia. Much of the current layout and structure date from the Norman abbot Paul of Caen around 1089. The current original Norman arches survive and there are also Gothic influences and towers in other parts.
All the monastic buildings and the 14th-century shrine of St Alban were smashed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539 on oder by Henry VIII. But the church was purchased back from Henry VIII by the townspeople in 1553. In 1856 a major Victorian renovation of the Cathedral was lead by Sir George Gilbert, Scott a prolific English Gothic revival architect famous for buildings such as St Pancras Station in London and the Albert Memorial.
(Above photo Roman theatre ruins in St Albans antiques )
So after your visit to the Canonbury Antiques showroom we highly recommending St Albans Cathedral. The town is a gorgeous English market town packed full of history with good dining and eating options to relax in after experiencing some history - it even houses what is billed as the oldest pub in England 'The Fighting Cock'. What better way to spend a Saturday afternoon, hunting for decorative pieces in the Canonbury Antiques Hertfordshire showroom then after experiencing the delights of St Albans and its Cathedral.
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