London Photo Gallery - St. Albans Cathedral

St. Albans was once the Roman town of Verulamium. In the early 3rd century, a Roman solider named Alban sheltered a priest who was fleeing prosecution. He learned more about Christianity from him and exchanged clothes to allow him to escape. Arrested by the Roman authorities and beheaded, Alban became a matryr and Britain's first saint. His grave on the hillside has attracted pilgrims since. The massive St. Albans Cathedral dates from the 11th century, eventually housing the country's longest medieval nave at 84m. St. Alban's shrine sits in the back although it is a reconstruction after the original was smashed during the Reformation, with the Victorians piecing it back together.