The Shrine of Saint Alban Expand Saint Alban is known as Britain’s first saint and was buried on this site 1700 years ago. There has probably been a shrine here since then. A new shrine was built in 1308 but was destroyed when the Abbey was closed down in 1539. Pieces from this shrine were used to restore the shrine in 1872 and again in 1993. There is also a small memorial chapel underneath the main shrine chapel. This belongs to Duke Humphrey of Gloucester (d. 1447), the only royal to be buried at St Albans Cathedral. This part of the Cathedral continues to be a place of pilgrimage, prayer and reflection. Image: Donato Cinicolo
The Shrine of St Amphibalus Expand Amphibalus was the Christian priest that St Alban sheltered from persecution. Tradition says the priest was later martyred at Redbourn. This shrine base was built for his relics in the Middle Ages but was smashed into pieces at the Reformation, as was St Albans shrine. These pieces were rediscovered in 1872. In 2020 this shrine was cleaned and restored with new carvings to replace some of its lost stones. St Albans is the only Cathedral in the country to house two medieval pedestal shrines - belonging to St Alban and St Amphibalus.
Medieval Wall Paintings Expand Experience the wonder of our medieval wall paintings - the best preserved collection in any English Cathedral. They are rare survivals, the earliest dating from the early 1200's. You can see the wall paintings in the Nave "restored" to their former glory with unique light projections during Daily Guided Tours.
The Longest Nave in England Expand At 85 metres, the Cathedral has the longest Nave in England. The word ‘Nave’ comes from ‘navis’ – the Latin name for ship since medieval people thought the ceiling looked like an upside down ship. The pillars in the Nave are decorated with stunning medieval wall paintings. The best preserved collection in any English Cathedral. A screen with carvings and statues was added to the Nave in the 1300s. The original statues were destroyed during the Dissolution. Today this screen is home to statues of seven martyrs, which represent different Christian traditions. Image: Luke Watson
The Quire Expand The Quire was the main monastic area during the medieval period. This is where monks would have sung their services. Services still take place here every day. Why not time your visit to enjoy the beautiful voices of the Cathedral Choirs at Evensong. Find out more about services here. Image: Martin Skitt
The Norman Tower Expand St Albans is the only major church in England with an 11th century great crossing tower still standing. It is also the only cathedral tower in England to be built using Roman bricks. In some places, the walls of the tower are seven feet thick and the whole structure weighs 5000 tonnes. The tower can be explored on one of our regular tower tours.
The Watching Loft Expand The Watching Loft was constructed in c. 1400 and is the only surviving medieval wooden watching loft in England. Monastic officials or tenants would sit in there and keep an eye on pilgrims visiting the Shrine. You can see a 360 degree view of inside the Watching Loft on our free digital guide. Image: Donato Cinicolo
Stunning Stained Glass Expand We have some spectacular stained glass windows around the Cathedral, including the magnificent Rose Window. The colourful design you see today was added in 1989, replacing an earlier Victorian plain glass window. Our stained glass windows date from between 1376 and 2006 and include a nod to royalty, a tribute to those who fought in the First World War and more. Image: Luke Watson