St Albans - the first coach stop from London
is located in St Albans - a small-ish city located approximately 20 miles
north-west of London and easily accessible from London itself by train,
car or from London's Heathrow Airport (Maps). The
city (because, although small, it has a Cathedral) was the first town
established by the Romans after London and became a large centre because
when horse and carriage was the state of the art in transport, St Albans
was as far as you could travel from London in one day. Our street is the
main road into St Albans and has many VERY old buildings.
The
world headquarters was once the Trumpet Inn and the picture shows what it
looked like at the turn of the 20th century - it looks almost identical today
with the exception that we no longer serve beer. Number 42 (now telecoms
consultancy and once inn, butcher, real estate agent and who knows what
else), was built in the Sixteenth Century and has foundations dating back
to Saxon times - the 7th and 8th Centuries! Just behind us is the
Cathedral/Abbey and the green fields of the Abbey Park. Through the park
there is "Ye Old Fighting Cocks Inn", reputedly the oldest pub
in Britain, although there are at least 16 of these!, and then the remains
of Roman
Verulamium, their name for the town. Central London is only 20
minutes away by train yet we are in the countryside - we often comment on
how we miss the smoke, dirt, traffic, noise and expense of our beloved
capital.
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