St Albans, Hertfordshire
| St Albans | |
|---|---|
 View from the west in front of St Albans Cathedral |
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 Coat of Arms |
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 St Albans
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| St Albans shown within Hertfordshire | |
| Area | 6.99 sq mi (18.1 km2) |
| Population | 57,795 (2011) |
| • Density | 8,268/sq mi (3,192/km2) |
| OS grid reference | TL148073 |
| • London | 19 mi (31 km) SSE |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | ST. ALBANS |
| Postcode district | AL1, AL2, AL3, AL4 |
| Dialling code | 01727 |
| Police | Hertfordshire |
| Fire | Hertfordshire |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
| UK Parliament | |
St Albans /sənt ˈɔːlbənz/, /seɪn.../ is a city in Hertfordshire, England, and the major urban area in the City and District of St Albans. It lies east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, about 19 miles (31 km) north-northwest of London, 8 miles (13 km) southwest of Welwyn Garden City and 11 miles (18 km) south-southeast of Luton. St Albans was the first major town on the old Roman road of Watling Street for travellers heading north, and it became the Roman city of Verulamium. It is a historic market town and is now a dormitory town within the London commuter belt and the Greater London Built-up Area.
St Albans takes its name from the first British saint, Alban. The most elaborate version of his story, Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English People, relates that he lived in Verulamium, sometime during the 3rd or 4th century, when Christians were suffering persecution. Alban met a Christian priest fleeing from his persecutors and sheltered him in his house, where he became so impressed with the priest's piety that he converted to Christianity. When the authorities searched Alban's house, he put on the priest's cloak and presented himself in place of his guest. Consequently, he was sentenced to endure the punishments that were to be inflicted upon the priest, unless he renounced Christianity. Alban refused and was taken for execution. In later legends, his head rolled downhill after execution and a well sprang up where it stopped.
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