Having whizzed past St Albans many times on the train and looked across to see the massive cathedral on the hill it was a welcome visit to somewhere new that we did with our good friends John and Rita.

We arrived at St Albans City railway station which is about a half a mile walk from the centre and conveniently provides good connections for trains from Derby.

Our Wednesday visit coincided with market day so the centre was busy with people, but a walk around the city, which has a fair few old buildings lining the main streets, was pleasant enough and gave us an appetite for lunch.

The mediaeval town grew up around the foundation of St Albans Abbey. This is the spot where tradition has it that Saint Alban, the first British Christian martyr, was beheaded around AD 324. It was at one time the principal abbey in England and the first draft of the Magna Carta was drawn up there. The Abbey Church, now called St Albans Cathedral, has parts dating back to 1077 and was made a cathedral in 1877 when the City Charter was granted. It is reputedly the longest continuous serving place of worship in England.

We did not get a chance to visit the old Roman settlement area of the city, which sat on the historic Watling Street, but maybe that will be done on another day as there is more to see than just the Cathedral in St Albans. Considering the proximity to London it did not feel that much like the dormitory/commuter town that it clearly is, but then again it was a Wednesday and the middle of the day!

Our journey back north took us via Watford Junction (using the London Midland service from St Albans Abbey), Coventry, Nuneaton and Leicester. Conveniently it was possible to partake of a 'cheeky pint' (or two) between trains at Watford, Nuneaton and Leicester.