Welcome to St Albans Cathedral

This is the oldest site of continuous Christian worship in Britain. It stands over the place where Alban, the first martyr, was buried after giving his life for his faith over 1700 years ago - more than 200 years before St Augustine arrived in Canterbury.

The building's amazing mixture of architectural styles bears witness to the many centuries of its life, first as a monastic Abbey and now as a Cathedral. Down all those centuries countless pilgrims have come to honour the saint's sacrifice and offer their prayers at his shrine - and they still come in their thousands today.

This website introduces you to Alban and his home, and gives you a glimpse of the Cathedral's busy life. Those of us who love the place want more people to know about it, and to experience its unique atmosphere and beauty for themselves.

We hope you will want to know more at first hand. If you have not yet visited St Albans, come soon; and if you have, come again! The rule of the Benedictine monks who built the Abbey was that each stranger must be treated as Christ himself, and we try to keep their tradition of hospitality alive. We warmly look forward to welcoming you.

The Very Reverend Dr Jeffrey John, Dean of St Albans