Newsletter of AOUG in the East of England (06)
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St. Albans Cathedral Tour gets Region's revival off to an historic start
On a glorious, cloud free day on the first of October (and as we were later to discover the hottest on record!) we met in the St. Albans Abbey café. As we drank coffee at the start of my first organised event, we chatted over what and where members would like to see and do in the future.
The Romans came to Verulamium (now St. Albans) and built their settlement within what are now the Abbey grounds. These are large areas of rolling grass and lawns, dotted with beautiful and very old oak and yew trees. It is a place of calm and tranquillity. The Abbey became a Cathedral in 1877 and looks magnificent within this glorious setting, at the top of a gradual hill. It has the longest nave in England, being 85 metres long, which of course helps create its magnificent external appearance. This really fires the imagination as to what the interior will look like!
Alban was a well known citizen living in the large Roman town of Verulamium in AD 250. He was a pagan who hid from persecution, and cared for, a Christian fugitive in his own home This fugitive was a priest who converted Alban to Christianity. Alban subsequently helped this priest to escape by giving him Alban's own distinctive clothes and, so disguised, was able to escape. For this deed Alban was captured and taken before the magistrate. Because Alban refused to accept the pagan gods of Rome so he was sentenced to death by execution and buried on the hillside where the Cathedral now stands. He became the first Christian martyr in this country. He was canonised in 793AD and the settlement which grew up around this monastic church was called St. Albans. Saxon Abbots wanted to reconstruct the Abbey Church with bricks collected from the abandoned Roman town of Verulamium. However, in 1066 when the Christian Normans invaded England, they considered the Saxons to be ‘simple', and in wanting to prove their superiority, started to build the huge Norman Church in 1077. It was finished 38 years later.
The Roman bricks were too hard to be carved, so the round topped arches were plastered and painted in a style unique to England. Some of these colour paintings are still visible on the pillars in the nave, and our guide pointed out to us the most interesting ones. The north side of the nave has two styles and periods of architecture, one beside the other, from the Early English style of 1200 with pointed arches to the earlier Norman rounded arches of 1077. Later, Gothic architecture with slimmer pillars and carvings was developed on the east side of the nave. However, our guide told us that a disaster had struck in 1323 during an evening service when two of the Norman pillars collapsed, followed by the roof and two more pillars! Rebuilding took place, and the guide showed us the different styles of pillars side by side which had resulted from the rebuild taking place at a later period than the original. We all stood in awe as we looked up at this magnificent architecture, which was all enclosed by a simple wooden roof.
The stained glass windows depicting historical events were beautiful and we were shown several interesting details within them. The bell tower contains thirteen bells in the ringing chamber which produce a magnificent sound when they are rung! Ramsey, having earlier in the year arranged a handshake event for Region 05 and Region 07 to the John Taylor Bell Foundry in Loughborough, was interested to know where these bells were made. However he was informed by our guide that these were made in the Whitechapel Foundry.
The Saint's Chapel contains relics of Saint Alban, placed in a jewelled casket of precious metal on top of the Purbeck marble pedestal. This reliquary is now covered with a red silk canopy for a martyr. A narrow, curved set of wooden steps rise up from here to a small room with a small window from where someone could watch over the valuables! We all laughed as we envisaged someone peeping through, ready to catch the thief!
The Presbytery with the High Altar Screen is a magnificent example of carvings and architecture which is covered by a most beautiful, painted, carved thirteenth-century wooden ceiling. We all marvelled at its simple beauty.
The one hour long tour was so interesting and was made all the better by our friendly guide. We all felt she was part of our AOUG group! Outside once more, we walked round the grounds for lunch at Abigail's Tea Rooms. Here, in an “old fashioned” style of restaurant with cotton tablecloths, classical music playing gently in the background and helpful staff, we were able to relax whilst enjoying tasty food. We chatted over the morning's events and everyone agreed it had been a very enjoyable day.
Jean Grout - Region 06
The Bronze Age Train Ride
With much anticipation my inaugural AOUG day trip to Flag Fen Archaeological Park on the 18th June duly arrived. But, it was closed until 2nd July! Horrors! When the trip was initially booked there was no reference to any closure dates and neither did its web site.
Someone suggested a local train ride and our Chairman, never to let a minor detail get in the way of a fun day out, leapt at the idea. Also, the desperate need for hot drinks and the use of ‘the facilities' on this damp and windy day certainly encouraged further action!
This ‘train ride' turned out to be a little gem. It was the Nene Valley Railway. A steam engine drew old fashioned, wooden carriages with old fashioned polite and friendly staff between Wansford and Peterborough, passing through delightful stations such as Ferry Meadows and Orton Mere. For those who would like a longer time on this train, the purchase of a ‘Rover Ticket' allows the intrepid traveller to travel back and forth all day long! We stopped to gaze and photograph Thomas the Tank Engine and other equally famous engines. We passed through beautiful countryside of fields, woods and rivers with long boats peacefully travelling along. It was a trip back into a long forgotten England, and although Flag Fen and its Bronze Age archaeology certainly belonged to a long forgotten England, this railway trip was within the living memory of all of us, and it was a very happy and memorable place to be.
Jean Grout, Executive Representative, Region 06.
Contact Details: Tel: 01727 846818 Email: jeangrout80@hotmail.com