Verulamium and the tomb of St Alban

In Roman times, Verulamium was the third largest and most important city in Britain after Londinium (London) and Camulodinum (Colchester). This bustling metropolis of 8000 people suffered a brutal sacking at the hands of Boudicca and her Iceni kinsmen* although plenty of ruins still stand, including a rather impressive amphitheatre.

It was later the site at which Alban, England's first Christian martyr, was put to death. The great cathedral founded here is in great nick, its shrines all restored and gleaming and full of artefacts and stories from days of old.

Apparently it also contains secret underground passageways running under a park to the local pub, Ye Old Fighting Cocks, which is one of several dozen claiming to be the oldest pub in Britain. Cromwell hid here during the Civil War.

Nowadays, St Albans is just another grotty city/suburb on London's fringe, but these gems are well worth poking around for on a day trip...

*The moral of this story is that if you're going to invade someone's country, beat her up and rape her daughters, don't pick the charismatic, newly widowed leader with 70,000 of her friends and family in tow to help her take revenge.... cos she'll be well pissed off, I can tell you.