A historical tour of St Albans and an examination of how the small city has coped during the economic downturn

By Georgina White

Former Policeman Jeffrey Walklate has lived in the city of St Albans for 55years but his family have resided there since the 1700’s. He has been training once a week since September in order to run tours and his training will continue until July. He will then have to take a written and practical test before he is allowed to lead tours.He said: “I wanted to do this because the city is close to my heart. There has been a resurge of historical interest in St Albans recently which, to me, is very exciting to be part of.”

Now owned by WHSmiths the former Town Hall was the focal point of St Albans. It was the home of the first Mayor and the ground floor acted as a jail for both men and women. Outside would be a market where meat, fabric and other goods would be traded.

The wooden beams are a common feature around the city. It was during the build up to the Spanish Armada that the beams became further apart. Jeffery said: “The majority of beams were being used to build boats and developers realised that buildings would still stand using far less wood than they had previously thought.”

The clock tower was the first real sign that people were becoming more independent from the Monarch. Built in 1405 it was the first building that pilgrims were given permission to erect . The clock sounded at 4am signalling that apprentices should get up and light the fires. It sounded again at 9pm as a curfew, coming from the French term meaning ‘put out your fires’.

The gateway to the Cathedral was used only by royalty. Inside the gateway was designated as a prison, family and friends of inmates would come with food and money to bribe the guards and prisoners would lower their shoes on string to collect the goods. Tour guide Jeff Walklate said: “It is thought that this is where the expression ‘living on a shoe string’ originated.” When the peasants revolted in 1381 they are said to have torn down the gates and released all the prisoners. The culprits were ordered to be hug by Richard II but quickly cut down and buried by townspeople. When the King discovered this he ordered that the bodies were dug up and re-hung. They remained on display for thirteen months.

The Abbey has been a source of income for the city of St Albans since the 6 th century when pilgrims would visit believing that this would help them earn entry into heaven. Now it is a popular tourist attraction.It was sold in 1540 by King Henry VIII for £400. In 1820 it was restored by Baron Crimthorpe for a cost of £250,000 .

Now owned by the franchise Cafe Rouge this building used to be owned by Samuel Ryder. He grew seeds in the ‘green house building’ and was the first person to do mail order. He also was the first employer in the city to pay sick leave. When he became ill due to stress his doctor recommended he take up something therapeutic like golf. He went on from there to open Veralum golf club and set up the famous Ryder cup golfing competition.

St Albans market is a major part of the city’s week. Traders have a large impact on the running of the high street with great objections toward the proposed statue of Samuel Ryder. They say it will reduce their trading space and their voice is being heard and considered by those making the final decision.

Michael Brown, owner of ‘Brown Bread’ said: “Although we have still generally done OK on our markets across the country we have defiantly noticed the pinch over the past months. Our suppliers have raised their prices but as of yet we haven’t had to. St Albans is a fairly affluent area which has defiantly worked in our favour. Bringing more people in on tours will mean more business for us which can only be a good thing.”

Owner of ‘Dixie’s Cupcakery’, Luisa said: “I set up the shop in the Summer of 2011 so haven’t been around half as long as many of the other businesses here. I’ve found that the people of the city are willing, and able, to spend money on luxury items and this has really helped me.”

St Albans clearly hasn’t struggled as much as other towns and city’s during the economic downturn. This could be due to a combination of historical interest and wealth of the people who live here. Laurence Elliott of the County Council said: “There were very few towns in the UK that survived completely unscathed and there wasn’t a great deal anyone could actually do.” They hope that the walking tours will encourage tourism and allow the city of St Albans to continue thriving.

Sources

Jeffery Walklate, Tour guide – 07973722748

Michael Brown, Owner of ‘Brown Bread’ – St Albans market

Luisa, Owner of ‘Dixie’s cupcakery’ – 11 Market Place St Albans, info@dixiescupcakery.co.uk

Laurence Elliott, County Council – laurence.elliott@stalbans.gov.uk