St Albans

Verulamium was one of the largest towns in Roman Britain, sacked by Boudica around 61 AD and rebuilt; its theatre, the only Roman one in Britain with a stage rather than an amphitheatre, still stands in a field, and the museum holds mosaics and a hypocaust in situ. Alban, a Roman citizen, sheltered a Christian priest, converted, and was executed on the hill above around the third century, making him Britain's first recorded Christian martyr; an abbey grew over the site. The Norman tower of 1077 was built almost entirely of Roman brick robbed from the ruined town, which is visible in the masonry. The nave is the longest in England at eighty-five metres. Ye Olde Fighting Cocks nearby has claimed to be the oldest pub in England, a claim it has since softened.

What you actually see

• The Roman brick tower - a Norman tower built from robbed Verulamium material.
• The Alban shrine - the martyr's tomb with a rare surviving watching loft.
• The Roman theatre - the only one in Britain with a stage, standing in a field.
• The in-situ hypocaust - Roman underfloor heating preserved in the park.

When to go

April to October for the Verulamium park and open-air Roman remains; the cathedral is open year-round and free. The Wednesday and Saturday market fills the town centre.

Honest expectations

The Roman theatre is on private land with a separate small charge and is a low ruin. The cathedral asks for donations rather than charging, and photography permits cost extra. Verulamium's remains are scattered across a park rather than concentrated.

Nearby

London is twenty minutes by train; Hatfield House lies east.