English Countryside: Hertfordshire & St. Albans
Life in London can be very stressful sometimes. There are many cars, people, noise and even though there are some beautiful parks, you can feel the lack of green spaces expecially if you are a person who loves the rainforest…like me!! 🙂
Therefore, I decided to take a couple of days off and get a short break outside London, just on its outskirts. I decided to go north, to Hertfordshire, very green countryside just one hour drive from London and easily reachable by tube or train too.
I live in central London so I took the Jubilee line to Stanmore, the last stop of this line. There I got the 615 bus and I got off to Elsree. There are other way to reach Elsree, they also told me that you can get the train from London London St Pancras by Thameslink line.
Elstree is a small village of around 5,000 inhabitants, probably best known for the Elstree Film Studios, where a number of famous British films were made. Originally known simply as Elstree, it is now part of the civil parish of Elstree and Borehamwood.
I went to Estree for two reasons: to visit and stay at the Manor House Laura Ashley and visit the Elstree Film Studios.
Manor House Laura Ashley
Tha Manor House Laura Ashley is a Tudor style building erected in 1540 and converted in a hotel in 1960. The building is inserted in the English countryside and from there you can have a clear and nice view of London from the hill.
The hotel is famous as it has been featured in many TV and film productions, such as the 1968 Hammer Horror , The Devil Rides Out. Also many famous guests have stayed in this hotel, such as Peter Sellers, Tom Cruise, and Stanley Kubrick.
The Hotel has a restored interior with beautiful and elegant rooms and restaurants, all furnished by Laura Ashley.
Elstree Studios
Elstree Studios is very well known as it is home to some of the top shows on British television today. Who has never heard speaking of Strictly come Dancing, The Chase or Have I Got News For You? just to mention some of them….. 🙂
However, Elstree Studios are worldwide remembered as the birthplace of Star Wars. Many other movies have been produced here such as Indiana Jones, Superman or The Shining just to name a few of them….
Elstree Studios were opened in the mid-1920 by two film producers (one English and one American) who were looking for a new motion picture studio.
The Studios have been used for film production, television production, commercials and events. In the last four years the Studios have been transformed to become once again one of the top UK Studios.
St. Albans and its Cathedral
St. Albans is a small but very characteristic city in Hertfordshire. It lies about 30 Km north- west from Central London and it is easily accessible by train or car. St. Albans was the most important town on the old Roman road of Watling Street for travellers heading north, and, at that time, it took the name of Verulamium. The city is known for his coloured Farmers market with vegetables, fruits and street food , open on Wednesday and Saturday from 8.30 to 17.30.
However, St. Albans is worldwide known for its magnificent Cathedral. The Church was begun in 1077 and was the largest building in the land at the time. It is an amazing mixture of architectural styles and it was a monastic Abbey first and now a Cathedral .
St Albans Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of St Albans and serves the Diocese of St Albans in the counties of Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, the Borough of Luton and the London Borough of Barnet. It is also the oldest site of continuous Christian worship in Britain. It stands over the place where Alban, the first martyr, was buried after giving his life for his faith over 1700 years ago.
Alban lived in the Roman city of Verulanium in the 3rd century. The story was that Alban gave shelter to a Christian priest fleeing from persecution and, influenced by the priest’s teaching and prayers, he became a Christian. When the authorities discovered the hiding priest Alban exchanged clothes with him, taking his place. The priest escaped and Alban appeared in front of a judge. At this point, Alban declared his Christian faith and he was sentenced to death.
St. Albans cathedral is really a magnificent building. I visited it on a very typical English day 😉 It was windy, the sky was very grey with intermettent rain. However, even with this weather the cathedral gave a strong feeling of solemnity and grandiosity. The park on the back was full of people and dogs and the atmospere was calm and relaxating.
Inside, the cathedral is as magnificent as ouside. St Albans has the longest nave in England that measures 85 metres. You can also admire some amazing Medieval wall painting ranging from the late 12th century to the 16th century. However, the thing that impressed me the most was the shrine of St Alban.
This shrine is still a site of national pilgrimage, used as a place of prayer and meditation by visitors every day. The marble base supports a modern red and gold canopy under which rests a shoulder-blade said to come from the original relics of the saint’s body.
If you are looking for a place where to get a nice tea and cakes/scones you can stop at the cafeteria outside the cathedral or walk around the small village to discover some of the coziest tea places I have visited in UK.
Another thing to mention is the nice airbnb where I stopped by during this short stay in St. Albans. Dave and Karen are the host of this nice little aparment (Link: https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/8818243?guests=1&adults=1) where I spent 2 nights. It is exactely as shown in the airbnb: very clean, confortable, lighty and airy. I had a very nice and confortable stay. Thank you!!!
