Verulamium Park

We decided to escape our two for the afternoon today as they have been such 'Kevin's aka 'teenage boys!' So I packed a picnic lunch for two, a knitted rug, camera and crochet and off we set for Verulamium Park in St Albans. Fortunately we were able to find ideal parking right near the park and this is the view as we started to walk down the hill.

The Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Alban. The Abbey and surrounding area is steeped in history. This park is the site where one of the biggest cities (Verulamium) in Roman Britain once stood. It is set in over 100 acres of parkland in which there are still remains of the city walls and the old London Gate which can still be seen today along with an original Roman mosaic floor and its underfloor heating system. When I home-educated our eldest we enjoyed studying these remains as it really brought the history alive and made it so much more real.

Anyway going back to the Cathedral, its nave is the longest of any cathedral in England and is 275 feet long! We didn't go in it today as we wanted to spend the time outside in the lovely sunshine. Most of the present architecture of the church dates from Norman times and it became a cathedral in 1877, and is the second longest cathedral in the UK. I recall we also spent a lovely afternoon on an educational visit with a group of local home-educators back in 2002. It was fascinating - or at least I thought so!

St Alban was Britain's first Christian martyr and was a pagan living in the Roman City of Verulamium. Alban sheltered a priest, St Amphibalus in his home when local Christians were being persecuted by the Romans before Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. Alban became converted to the Christian faith during this time and when the Roman Soldiers came looking for the priest Alban exchanged cloaks with the priest and let himself be arrested in his place. He was taken before magistrates where he avowed his new faith, Christianity and was condemned and beheaded according to legend on the spot where the cathedral named for him now stands. All fascinating stuff.

Anyway we walked down the hill - me in my new Crocs - having seen them in Costco the other day - note the colour blue! Finally 'trendy', although probably a few years too late. Where we found a nice bench in the sun to eat our packed lunch and watch the birds on the lake.

Of course I brought my crochet with me to do while we were sitting there enjoying the peace after our lunch.

A swan was preening itself on an island in the lake.

There are lovely paths that you can walk along all around the lake.

Mrs Coot sitting on her nest.

Gorgeous colourful trees.