ST ALBANS (Verulamium)		Quality of Remains
		Ease of Access
		Atmosphere & Setting

History:

St Albans predates the Roman occupation as already a major centre for the Catuvellauni. Indeed by the end of the 1st century bc, it seems to have been the tribal capital. Despite the capital later being moved to newly annexed Colchester, St Albans retained high status and continued to expand. In 50 AD it was made a municipium, unusually granted Latin rights, and fortified. This high-status, but largely timber-framed, settlement was burned to the ground in 60 AD during the revolt of the Iceni under Boudicca. The town was soon rebuilt on a grander scale and continued to grow, acquiring all the typical features of a fully Romanised city (Forum, Macellum, Theatre etc.) Unluckily much of the town burned in another fire in 155 AD but once again, the rebuilding saw a massive expansion in size and quality. Later developments saw the earlier Claudian walls razed and new, heavy walls constructed around the city. The city continued to prosper throughout late-Roman Britain, becoming the third largest on the island. From the withdrawal of Roman support, however, the city fell into decline. Indeed the modern town of St Albans lies on the other side of the river from the Roman settlement, centred around the abbey which was constructed over a Roman cemetary, presumably the burial place of the martyr St Alban.

Remains and Visit:

Despite the fact that the Roman city is separate from the modern town and remains largely undisturbed and open, very little can actually be seen above the surface. The one glory of the site is the theatre, the best example in the country. The theatre lies on the west side of the modern road, where almost half the city remains buried, being systematically ploughed out by farmers. On the other side, the Roman city constitutes a public park. A stretch of the city wall is visible here, including the southeast gate. By the main road and opposite the theatre is the Verulamium museum, which remains an excellent visit. A ticket to the museum also includes the only other remains to be seen in the park: the mosaic floor and underlying hypocaust of a town house.

Images:

The Theatre	Houses	Late walls
Walls	Mosaic