Cathedral and Abbey Church of Saint Alban

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here. Built between 1077 and 1088, the Norman Abbey church was subsequently extended several times. The western part of the nave was increased between 1214 and 1235, while the Presbytery, Saint's Chapel and Retrochoir were added between 1235 and 1260, and the Lady Chapel between 1308 and 1326. The west front was rebuilt by Lord Grimthorpe from 1879-1884, as were the facades of the transepts. The tower, quire and north side of the nave are part of the original Norman building. With a total length of 556 ft/168m, St Albans Cathedral is only surpassed in length by Winchester Cathedral. In 1877 the church became the Cathedral of the Diocese of St Albans which now comprises the counties of Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, the town of Luton and part of the London Borough of Barnet. The cathedral remains an active parish church with a large congregation.

The variety of elements of style found within the cathedral is striking. Immediately inside the west entrance there are a few bays in the Early English style. On the south side of the nave there are five more bays, built after a collapse in 1323. Remains of 13th/14th century frescoes, including a notable depiction of the crucifixion scene (about 1220), can be seen on the Norman columns flanking the north side. A beautiful wooden coffered ceiling spans the quire, which is separated from the nave by a pulpitum screen (about 1350). The ceiling of the crossing is decorated with paintings dating from 1951/52, copies of the medieval originals above, whose red and white roses are reminders of the War of the Roses. The large gatehouse (1361) on the south wall is all that remains of the former monastery. The transept triforium galleries contain columns brought from the Saxon Abbey Church.

In the north transept by the Altar of the Persecuted there is a large work by Henry Moore, Single Standing Figure (1981). The large Victorian rose window in the north transept was re-glazed to a modern design by Alan Younger in 1989.

The Presbytery has an 13th century vaulted wooden which was repainted in the 15th century. The high altar screen contains many statues and forms the eastern end of the presbytery. It dates originally from 1484 but the statues destroyed at the Dissolution were replaced between 1884 and 1890. To the North stands the fan vaulted late perpendicular Ramryge Chantry Chapel dating from 1520

To the East of the high altar screen is the Saint's Chapel (about 1315), which houses the shrine of St Alban. It was reconstructed between 1872 and 1875 from fragments and its embellishments include depiction of the saint's martyrdom. The shrine was again restored in 1993 using modern techniques. The Shrine of Saint Alban is a focus for ecumenical worship in the Cathedral. Special note should be taken of the oak gallery (about 1400), from which a security watch was kept on visitors to the shrine. The shrine pedestal of St Amphibalus, who converted St Alban to Christianity, is situated in the north ambulatory