St Albans Cathedral - Hertfordshire.

 

I stopped off at the St Albans Cathedral during my visit, and wow, it reminded me of something out of Harry Potter. The interior was stunning, and we spent a good hour just exploring. It wasn't even that busy, which was really nice. The best part was that it was free to enter. I absolutely loved how magical it looked inside. There was one area I didn’t visit because a baptism was taking place.

The cathedral is home to medieval shrines that date back to the 1700s. It is a Grade I listed building, constructed between 1077 and 1893. Originally known as the Abbey, it was dissolved in the 16th century and became a cathedral in 1877.

St Michael's Church - St Albans

This little church was not part of our original plans; we just happened to be passing by and decided to stop and take a look. Inside, the church was really lovely and had a similar layout to most other churches. The stained glass windows were particularly beautiful. We spent about 15-20 minutes exploring the church and admiring the stunning architecture.

 

This charming church dates back to the 10th or 11th century and is a surviving Anglo-Saxon building. It is Grade I listed.

Verulamium Museum - St Albans

I was told to check out a little Roman site in St. Albans, so while I was up there, I thought I would visit. We were really lucky on the day we went because it was Heritage Open Day, and the building was free to enter. Normally, it costs £10 for adults and £5 for children. 

Once inside, we looked around the site. I was surprised that it wasn’t very busy, considering free entry on Heritage Open Day. The site was nice to wander through, and it explained various aspects of Roman life, such as working from home, cooking, farming, and daily living. There were also a few mosaics to see. Overall, the site was really interesting to visit.

This little site was originally a center for the Catuvellauni tribe before the Romans arrived. Around 50 AD, it became a prominent Roman town. It is said that in the 1930s, there was a major excavation that uncovered Roman remains. The original site was built for £8,000 and opened in May 1939.

Old Gorhambury House - St Albans

 

This was another place I had wanted to visit for years, but I could never figure out how to get there. I tried different ways to reach it, but I couldn't work out the footpath. While I was in St Albans for the day, I took another look at how to get to the old Gorhambury House. After checking the English Heritage site, I realized I needed to follow the footpath from the old Roman ruins.

I parked my car and walked to the entry point. I went through the gate and walked 2.2 miles up a slight hill. It was definitely worth it once I reached the top! While walking up, I passed several other people doing the same thing. Once we got to the top, we stopped to look around the old Tudor house and then sat on a bench to eat some lunch before making the 2.2-mile journey back down the hill (at least it was all downhill).

This little hidden gem was constructed between 1563 and 1568 by the Lord Keeper. The house showcases what a Tudor house with cutting-edge design would have looked like. This is just a small part of a massive estate; the remaining building has been left to crumble, offering a glimpse of what it might have looked in the heyday