Verulamium Park: The Roman City in St Albans, England

Visitor Information

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Official Website: www.stalbans.gov.uk

Country: United Kingdom

Civilization: Celtic, Roman

Remains: City

History

Verulamium Park is situated on the site of the ancient Roman city of Verulamium, located in what is now St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. Before the Roman conquest in AD 43, this settlement was known as Verlamion and served as the capital of the Catuvellauni tribe, a powerful British group that engaged in extensive trade. After the Roman invasion, the tribe did not resist, and the town was granted municipium status around AD 50, giving its inhabitants Roman legal rights and privileges.

In AD 60 or 61, Verulamium was destroyed during the rebellion led by Boudicca, queen of the Iceni tribe. The town was rebuilt over the following two decades, with the construction of important public buildings such as a basilica, forum, temples, and a theatre. By the 2nd century, the settlement had grown considerably, replacing timber structures with stone and erecting a large defensive wall approximately two miles long, featuring four main gates.

The town experienced decline after a major fire around AD 155 and continued to wane during the 4th and 5th centuries. The Roman theatre fell out of use, and the Roman way of life in the area ended by about AD 410. Verulamium is also linked to Saint Alban, Britain’s first Christian martyr, who was a Roman citizen of the town. He was executed for sheltering a Christian priest, and a shrine and early church were established near his execution site. This location later became the center of the medieval city of St Albans.

Classical sources such as Ptolemy’s Geography and the Antonine Itinerary mention Verulamium, confirming its importance in Roman Britain. Archaeological excavations in the 1930s, led by Sir Mortimer Wheeler and Tessa Wheeler, uncovered significant remains including hypocaust heating systems and mosaic floors. Excavations continue to reveal the town’s history and layout.

Remains

Verulamium was laid out following a Roman grid pattern, with straight streets intersecting at right angles. The town featured monumental public buildings including a forum (public square), basilica (administrative building), and a market known as a macellum. Construction used stone and brick, with principal rooms heated by hypocaust systems, an ancient underfloor heating method. Decorative elements included mosaic floors, painted plaster, and brightly colored walls.

Visible remains in the park include sections of the Roman city walls and the outline of the main London Gate. The defensive wall, built by the late 3rd century AD, stretched about two miles and had four large twin-arched gates. These walls enclosed the town and provided protection.

A well-preserved hypocaust system with a mosaic floor dating back around 1800 years was discovered and is displayed under a protective structure within the park. This heating system once warmed the floors of a wealthy townhouse, which also contained an underground passageway with corridors, niches, and an apse, possibly serving as a private shrine.

The Roman theatre, located just west of the park, was used for plays, readings, music, and possibly bullfighting and religious festivals. It lies near a temple complex, indicating its role in both entertainment and worship.

Several temples have been excavated at the site. One square temple behind the theatre, built around AD 90, featured a 53-foot square portico and a 24-foot square inner chamber (cella). Its walls were 2.5 feet thick, and it faced northeast. This temple was modified and rebuilt several times until the 5th century before falling into disuse.

Another unique temple near the south gateway had a truncated triangular shape measuring approximately 97 by 83 by 31 feet. It was approached through a trapezoidal courtyard with colonnades. Inside, a central sanctuary with a raised platform likely held a cult statue, while two corner sanctuaries contained brick-lined tanks with evidence of burning, suggesting ritual use.

A large temple on the southwest side of the forum had very thick walls, measuring 7.5 feet, and a podium 34.5 by 63.75 feet. It featured a semi-circular apse housing a cult statue. The temple’s exterior walls were painted bright crimson, and fragments of painted plaster have been found.

At the western end of the Antonine forum stood a massive temple building about 52 feet wide and 102 feet long, with walls 9 feet thick supporting a vaulted roof. It included a square atrium, a raised cellar area, and a rear apse with two rooms, one likely serving as a small sanctuary with an altar or cult statue. The exterior was decorated with large semi-engaged columns.

Inscriptions found in the forum area include a fragmentary dedication to Emperors Titus and Domitian, confirming the town’s connection to the Roman imperial administration. Other finds include mosaic floors, wall paintings, and burnt pine cones in temple tanks, indicating ritual activities.

Overall, the remains at Verulamium Park provide a detailed picture of a Roman town with complex religious, administrative, and social structures, enclosed by substantial defensive walls and featuring richly decorated buildings.