St Albans is widely regarded as one of the most desirable places to live in the UK, with its mix of green spaces and outstanding schools all within easy reach of London.
We found out more about the historic cathedral city...
History
St Albans dates back to around 20BC, and was one of the largest towns in Britain in AD43 following the Roman invasion.
The town - as it was then - features in the Domesday Book, back when the population was around 500.
Among its claims to fame, the first draft of the Magna Carta was drawn up in St Albans in 1215, when it was still a small settlement, and two battles in the Wars of the Roses were fought in the area in 1455 and 1461.
The Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Albans is the oldest site of continuous Christian worship in Britain, and was built over the burial site of St Albans - Britain's first Christian martyr - who died in AD304.
St Albans Abbey is believed to have been founded in AD793 by King Offa of Mercia, and the principal Abbey was used by the Benedictines. However it did not become a cathedral until 1877.
Schools
A significant part of St Albans' appeal is its excellent state schools, with plenty of popular primaries in the city centre.
These include Maple, Alban City, Aboyne Lodge and St Peter's, all of which were rated 'good' at their latest Ofsted inspections.
School catchment areas in St Albans are notoriously tight, but children living in the centre can sometimes secure places at Malborough or Samuel Ryder Academy (both rated 'good)', or Catholic girls' school Loreto (rated 'outstanding').
Other options are St Albans Girls' School, rated 'outstanding', and the 'good'-rated Verulam School, which is a boys' school and accepts girls in sixth form.
There are also a few popular independent schools, including St Albans School, St Albans High School for Girls and St Columba's College.
Travel
There are two stations in St Albans - St Albans City, which offers a direct link into central London in around 20 minutes, and St Albans Abbey, which provides a branch line to Watford.
The M1, A1(M) and M25 are also just a short drive away.
Sport and leisure
Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre has three pools, a gym and a spa, along with other amenities.
There are also a range of sports clubs across St Albans, including Old Albanian RFC, St Albans Cricket Club and St Albans City FC.
Green spaces near the city centre include Clarence Park and Verulamium Park, which are both big and well-loved.
Entertainment
St Albans has loads of options for entertainment, with a diverse range of performances at the Abbey Theatre and comedy, live music acts and the annual panto at the Alban Arena.
Several of the city centre pubs also host live band, including The Horn and The Mermaid.
One of St Albans' newer entertainment venues is The Odyssey, an art deco cinema offering a mix of classic and recently released films in a plush, theatre-style setting.
History enthusiasts can enjoy the long-established Verulamium Museum, as well as the St Albans Museum + Gallery, which opened in the former town hall building in the centre centre in 2018.
Eating and drinking
St Albans has a huge offering of pubs, including historic hostelries The Boot and Ye Olde Fighting Cocks.
City centre restaurants cater for nearly every culinary taste, from Italian (Per Tutti and L'Italiana), to Thai (Thai Rack), Mediterranean (Tabure), Indian (Veer Dhara, Chilli Bar) and burgers (The Meating Room, Hatch).
The city is also home to a wide variety of popular cafés, although some residents feel the units would be better used as shops.
Shops
Popular chain stores can be found on St Peter's Street, and in pedestrian shopping areas The Maltings and Christopher Place.
St Albans also has a mix of independent shops, selling everything from clothes to comics, gifts and records.
These can mainly be found on High Street, Holywell Hill, Heritage Close and the picturesque George Street.
Property
Living in a place as nice as St Albans is not cheap, and many of the area's most expensive properties are in the city centre.
Homes currently for sale include a seven-bedroom detached property on London Road for £2m and a four-bedroom terrace property on Fishpool Street for £1,750,000.
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