The Roman settlement was founded around AD 50. It grew to a significant town, despite the attentions of Boudicca in AD 61. It had municipium status and grew steadily - by the early 200s it covered an area of about 125 acres, behind a deep ditch and wall. It had a forum, basilica and a theatre, most of which were destroyed during two fires, one in AD 155 and the other around AD 250. The town was rebuilt in stone rather than timber at least twice over the next 150 years. Occupation by the Romans ended between 450 and 500.
The post-Roman development of St Albans came about from the death of St Alban? in 209 - the first English Christian martyr. There was a shrine on the site of his death and in the 400s a monastic church was constructed. Another abbey was founded by King [Offa of Mercia]? in 793. The settlement grew up around the precincts of another monastery, founded in AD 900 by [Abbot Ulsinus]?, he also founded three churches - St. Peter's, St. Stephen's and St. Michael's. Around 500 people lived in the town in 1086.
The cathedral was started in 1077 by [Paul de Caen]?, the 14th Abbot, it was completed in 1089 and was 350 feet long with a tower and seven apses. The head of the abbey was confirmed as the premier abbot in England in 1154. The abbey was extended by [John de Cella]? in the 1190s, and again between 1257 and 1320 but financial constraints limited the effectiveness of these later additions. An nunnery was founded nearby in 1140.
During the War of the Roses there were two battles around St Albans, the first in 1455 was a Lancastrian defeat that opened the war. The Lancastrian army occupied the town but the Yorkist forces broke in and a battle took place in the town centre. In 1461 the Second Battle of St. Albans on Bernards Heath on the north of the town resulted in a Lancastrian victory.
The Abbey was dissolved in 1539 and sold to the town in 1555.
During the English Civil War (1642-45) the town sided with parliament but was largely unaffected by the conflict.
The railway arrived in 1868, off-setting the decline in coaches since the 1840s - St Albans was a major stop on the route north out of London, this is the reason it has so many pubs.
In the 1880s following the 1877 grant of cathedral status for the abbey and city charter for the town, Lord Grimthorpe financed a £130,000 renovation and rebuilding of the then delapidated cathedral, unfortunately it is most apparent in the awful Victorian rebuild of the west front.
The football club was founded in 1880.
There are three main roads dating from medieval times - Holywell Hill, St Peters Street and Fishpool Street. These remained the only major streets until around 1800 when London Road was constructed, to be followed by Hatfield Road in 1824 and Verulam Road in 1826. Growth was always slow and steady, there was no sudden burst - in 1801 there were 6,000 people living in St Albans, in 1850 11,000, in 1931 29,000 and in 1950 44,000.
A market was running outside the abbey from the 10th Century, it was confirmed by King John in 1202 and by a Royal Charter of [Edward VI]? in 1553.
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