St Albans

St Albans Abbey

OBJECTS OF INTEREST IN THE VIEW FROM THE TOWER
[Mid-19th Century]

The present town of St Albans may be considered as owing its early origin to Ulsinus, or Ulsic, the 6th Abbat, circ. 94-8, who built the three churches of St. Peter, St. Michael, and St. Stephen, on the three principal roads leading from his Monastery.

The new Church Yard of the Abbey parish, west of the Church, of a triangular shape, was until lately a plot of waste ground, called Rome Land, upon which George Tankerville, after being tried and condemned by Bishop Bonner, was burned alive, pursuant to his sentence, on the 26th August, 1556. (Fox's Book of Martyrs, p. 230.)

Almost at the foot of the Abbey on the north is a tower called the Clock House. Matthew Paris records that in his day a tower was standing near the Monastery, bearing the name of King Canute; the only remains of the Royal Palace at Kingsbury, dismantled by Abbat Ælfric II. (p. 10). But the present structure, even if it be on the same site, is of much more modern date; and Clutterbuck states that there are Deeds preserved in the Archives of the Corporation, showing that it was built for a clock house between the years 1402 and 1427.

In the area at its base, where a pump is now seen, stood the Cross erected by Edward I. in memory of his Queen Eleanor. (p. 22 )

The parish church of St. Peter is seen at the entrance of the  town on the north. A great number of the bodies of such as were slain in the two battles between the rival Houses of York and Lancaster, were buried in this church and churchyard. (Gough's Sep. Mon.) Chauncy, in his mention of the monumental records in this Church, notices the tomb of Sir Bertin Entwysel, slain in the first battle of St. Albans fighting for the King. "Here lyeth Sir Bertin Entwysel, Kt .... died 28 May, 1455;" also the Epitaphs o0f Ralph Babthorpe and Ralph his son; the father Squire, the son Dapifer to Henry VI. died 22 May, 1455 - and the following:- Hic jacet Edmundus Westby Arm. Justiciarius Pacis Com. Hertford et Hundredarius ac Balivus de Franchesia Sancti Albani et Margaretta uxor ejus qui Ed: obiit 18 Sept. 1475.  Weever, who records this last monument as extant in his day, adds, on the authority of Stowe, in his Annals, that Henry VI. was in this Edmund's House during the time of the first battle in the Town. The House, with its grounds adjoining the Churchyard of St. Peter's, is said to have been at that time the property of the above Edmund Westby.

In the List of those admitted into the Fraternity of the Monas­ tery (Cotton MS. Nero, D vii.) is inserted "Willielmus Westby, " Hundred of this Monastery and Justice of the Peace. The " benefit of our Fraternity is granted to him and his wife Agnes on " his petition, Anno Domini 1487."

These monuments disappeared when this Church was deprived of its Chancel and Transepts in the beginning of this century.

Close by, on the left, is Bernard's Heath, where the second battle was fought.

Hatfield House, the noble residence of the Marquis of Salisbury, lies in the distance on the right, and may be seen distinctly with the aid of the telescope. An Oak is still shown in the Park, under which the Princess Elizabeth was sitting when intelligence was brought to her of the death of Queen Mary. The House in times past belonged to the Bishops of Ely, whereupon it was named Bishops Hatfield. (Camden's Brit.)

On the east side of the town, verging towards the south, and just at the back of the houses, extended Key Field, the Arena of :he first conflict between the Houses of York and Lancaster.

On the distant hill is seen Porter's Lodge, the modern residence of the Lords of Weld Randolfes.

The ancient Manor House stood at a short distance north of it, and is described by Chauncy as cornpassed with a moat, having a park adjoining to it. It was occupied for a time by Humphrey Duke of Gloucester (Grafton's Chronicle and Newcome, p. 509 et seqq.)

Further to the right, on the other side of the river, are seen the ruins of Sopwell Nunnery (p. 13). Camden (Britannia, published 1586) and Stukeley (Itinerarium Curiosum, in 1720) record the tradition that Henry VIII. was married to Anna Boleyn in this Nunnery. In the distribution of the property of the Monastery and its dependents this Religious House fell to the lot of Sir Richard Lee (pp. 42 and 79)' Newcome states that he repaired and enlarged the structure with the materials of the dissolved Monastery, and built the wall which enclosed the lands from the London Road. The house of Sopwell fell into decay in the reign o Charles II. Among the parts taken down were ten large circular medallions of stone, representing some of the Roman Emperors. These were purchased by the Lord of Salisbury Manor, in the parish of Shenley, and by him placed in the wall of his Hall, then building anew, and are now still remaining there.

In a field near the town, and nearly in the line of sight joining these ruins and the Abbey, is the Ancient Well, from which the Nunnery obtained its name, indicated by a protecting arch of brick­ work, and a tree planted near to it. .

The site of the Hospital of St. Julian (p. 13), assigned to Thomas Lee, the brother of Sir Richard, is marked by a farm house (which preserves the name) and a double line of fir trees to the left of St. Stephen's Church.

The ancient Watling Street seems to have passed by St. Stephen's directly through the Roman city, a little southward of St. Mary's Chapel and St. Michael's Church. Nevertheless, there is a road round about, without the south side of the walls, for those that had no occasion to go through the city (Stukeley's ltin. Cur. and Pennant's Chester to London). The line of road carries the eye on to the right, past the chief remains of the walls and foss of Verulam, in a fir plantation, to Gorhambury (see p. 15), the residence of the Earl of Verulam, where a vestige is still to be seen of the mansion built in the time of Robert de Gorham, and the ruins of that in which Lord Bacon resided. He was buried in the church of St. Michael.

The river bears the name of the Ver. It rises about nine miles off towards the west, flowing by Merkyate Cell and falling into the Colne four miles to the south-east (p. 1).

Nearly at the completion of the circuit is a white house on a hill, called Oyster Hill. The name is possibly a corruption of Ostorius' Hill, indicating the place of encampment of the Proprætor in the time of the Emperor Claudius (Camden).

Page created January 2008