St. Albans Cathedral

St. Albans Cathedral Review

Medieval pilgrims came from far and wide to hilltop St. Albans Cathedral to honor its patron saint, a Roman soldier turned Christian martyr. His red-canopied shrine beyond the choir has a rare watching loft from where guard was kept over gifts that were left. Construction of the mainly Norman cathedral began in the early 11th century, but the nearly 300-foot-long nave dates from 1235; the pillars are decorated with 13th- and 14th-century paintings. The tower is even more historic, and contains bricks from ancient Roman buildings.