What’s On September - December 2022 Light Show | Fireworks Spectacular | Christmas
Contents
Worship pg 16
Tours pg 20
Exhibitions and Community Events pg 22
Advent and Christmas pg 15
Young People pg 24
Cover Image © Paul Wilkinson
Adopt our Cathedral pg 26
Welcome
- The Very Reverend Jo Kelly-Moore, Dean of St Albans
Music pg 12
Visitor Highlights pg 7
Science and Faith pg 8
Talks pg 18
St Albans Cathedral, home to Britain’s first saint, is the oldest site of continuous Christian worship in “WelcomeBritain.tothe
Your Visit pg 4
Friends of St Albans Cathedral pg 25
Autumn edition of What’s On at St Albans Cathedral. Be sure to take a look at our fantastic Science and Faith programme, read about a great series of concerts coming up and mark the diary with Advent and Christmas Services. Every day we are delighted to welcome hundreds of people to the Cathedral. That welcome is at the heart of our life and the Benedictine tradition of this holy place. Whether you are here for a quick visit, you are attending a concert or lecture, or joining us in worship we look forward to meeting you and offering you a warm St Albans Cathedral welcome.
Fireworks Spectacular pg 23
© Still Cast Photography
Whether you are looking for the perfect memento of your visit to St Albans Cathedral, or looking for a special gift, we are sure you will find something in the Cathedral Shop.
Regular Worship
Open daily 10am - 4pm
Support Us
How to Book Your Tickets
The Cathedral is situated in the heart of St Albans, surrounded by beautiful parkland and just a short stroll away from the city centre. Accessibility for all our visitors is an important part of our welcome and mission. Full information about planning a trip to St Albans Cathedral can be found on our website.
Your Visit
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Cathedral Shop
Open daily 10am – 5pm
Opening Times
Planning Your Visit
Abbot’s Kitchen is the perfect place to enjoy tea and cake, or lunch, during your visit to the Cathedral.
Bookings for events taking place at the Cathedral can be made through our website at www.stalbanscathedral.org. You can also book through the Cathedral Box Office, located in the Cathedral Shop, or by calling 01727 890290.
Abbot’s Kitchen
There are a number of services every day at the Cathedral. All are welcome. See page 16 for more details.
There are many unique sights to take in when you visit St Albans Cathedral, making it a stunning setting for worship, events and tours.
Group Enquiries
We welcome groups from far and wide every day and can tailor tours to suit your group’s interest. Get in touch to find out more. Groups: 01727 890200 School groups: 01727 890212
To find out more about how you can support the Cathedral go to www.stalbanscathedral.org/donate or call 01727 890231
The Cathedral is open all year round 8.30am – 5.30pm. Entry is free. All donations are gratefully received. Occasionally additional services and events will be added at short notice. Please check the website before making a special visit.
This October half term, join us for our final light show, Science | Lighting up our Universe. Immerse yourself in the Cathedral bathed in light, to explore scientific discoveries throughout the ages.
Join us for our annual Fireworks Spectacular in Verulamium Park this November.
The Shrine of Saint Alban
St Albans Cathedral is a great place to visit for the whole family – whatever the weather! From the longest nave in England to a jam-packed events programme, there is plenty to see and do.
Enjoy walking the longest nave in England, all 85 metres of it! Take in the artchitecture and atmosphere of this vast space.
The Longest Nave in England
Visitor Highlights
Full details can be found on page 23.
Wall Paintings
Fireworks Spectacular
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Our Norman Tower is the only 11th century great crossing tower still standing in England today. It is also the only cathedral tower in England to be built using Roman bricks. You can explore our tower on one of our Tower Tours, see page 20.
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Be transported back in time as you take in the stunning medieval wall paintings - the best preserved collection in any English cathedral. You can see the wall paintings in the Nave restored to their former glory with unique light projections during Daily Guided Tours.
The Shrine of Saint Amphibalus
The Norman Tower
The Light Show
The Shrine of Saint Alban is a site of national pilgrimage. People have been coming here for over 1700 years and it is used as a place of prayer and stillness by visitors every day.
The Shrine of Saint Amphibalus recently underwent a monumental conservation project and is now back in the Cathedral for all to see. St Albans Cathedral is the only cathedral in the country with two restored medieval pedestal shrines.
Full details can be found overleaf.
Science and Faith Autumn/Winter 2022/2023 Join us to explore light, science and faith as the seasons deepen into darkness. Science | Lighting up our Universe Tuesday 25 October - Saturday 29 October Join us for our final light show and journey through creation with a stunning science-themed light show at St Albans Cathedral. Early bird tickets from £8, available on our website. Find out more about the rest of our Science and Faith programme overleaf.
Please refer to our website for prices, dates and times and to book your tickets.
Science and Faith Family Fun
Mad Science
Messy Science
Arts and Crafts Workshop
The Cathedral is full of wonderful stained glass windows, all of which need light to bring their colours to life! Have a go at making your own window in this fabulously creative workshop.
Did you know the monks of St Albans invented lots of scientific instruments? You can see a modern replica of an amazing astronomical clock from the 14th century in the north presbytery aisle!
Join our friends from Mad Science for an exciting show of fun-filled experiments and hands-on activities.
Family Discovery Morning
Join with us and Dr Dave for a day of marvellous Messy Church does Science activities!
The Cathedral is full of scientific wonders and this fun packed activity trail will help you to find out more.
Creative Writing Workshop | Moments of Illumination
Saturday 15 October, 10.30am - 12.30pm, Alban Room
Join local writer and tutor, Clare Hobba, for this creative writing workshop.
Join our Canon Environmentalist and Fellow of the University of Cambridge, Dr Hilary Marlow, for this talk.
Lessons from Medieval Science for Today
Wednesday 16 November, 7.30pm - 9pm, Alban Room and Online
Thursday 1 December, 7.30pm - 9pm, Alban Room and Online
Tickets £25, available from our website.
Light Symbolism, Dark Skies and Light Pollution
Tickets £10 (students £6), available from our website.
Join art historian Dr Valerie Shrimplin for this talk. Tickets £10 (students £6), available from our website.
Sharing the Light
Wednesday 14 December, 7.30pm - 9pm, Alban Room
Join our Canon Scientist and Professor of Natural Philosophy, Professor Tom McLeish, for this talk.
Let There Be Light! Cosmology and Metaphor in the Bible
Tickets £10 (students £6), available from our website.
Science and Faith Adult Learning
Join Rabbi Adam Zagoria-Moffet and the Reverend Dr Kevin Walton for this talk.
Tickets £10 (students £6), available from our website.
Wednesday 2 November, 7.30pm - 9pm, Alban Room and Online
Heartwood Wilding, James Francis Brown The Creation, Joseph Haydn
Tickets from £10, available on our website.
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Celebrating its 90th year, St Albans Symphony Orchestra will premiere Heartwood Wilding; this instrumental piece will be conducted by the composer, who took inspiration from the nearby Heartwood Forest Woodland Trust development. The orchestra will then accompany soloists and massed local choirs in Joseph Haydn’s oratorio The Creation
Luke Fitzgerald, Coventry Cathedral
Concerts
Wednesday 19 October, 12.30pm
Joshua Stephens, Winchester Cathedral
Discover our concert programme and immerse yourself in the beauty of the Cathedral.
Saturday 15 October, 7.30pm - 10pm
Music has been central to the life of the Cathedral for centuries. Join us for a magnificent programme of concerts.
Wednesday 16 November, 12.30pm
Organ Concerts
Saturday 19 November, 5.30pm
Sunday 11 December, 4.45pm
Join us for one of our fantastic free Organ Concerts, with retiring collections in aid of Cathedral music funds.
IOF Recital | Simon Harden, Dublin
Saturday 8 October, 5.30pm
Tom Winpenny, Assistant Master of Music
Saturday 24 September, 5.30pm
Sunday 11 September, 3pm
Paul Giffiths, Dubai
IOF Recital | Peter Holder, Westminster Abbey
Wednesday 21 September, 12.30pm
Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Organists’ Association Organ Recital Simon Johnson, Westminster Cathedral
Tom Winpenny, Assistant Master of Music, plays Olivier Messiaen’s La Nativité du Seigneur
St Albans St Cecilia Festival Society Concert
These two choral works urge us to look towards a better and more peaceful future. The Armed Man, subtitled a ‘Mass for Peace’, is loved by audiences and choirs. Sarojini celebrates her life and uses texts from her poetry to celebrate her legacy and her hope for a better future. Tickets from £10, available from our website.
Durufle Requiem & Mozart Vespare Solennes de Confessore
Tickets from £12, available from our website.
St Albans Bach Choir presents Durufle’s Requiem, set for a solo voice, choir and orchestra with organ. It was first published in 1948 and rapidly became one of the most popular sacred Choral works composed in the 20th century. Vesperae solennes de confessore was composed by Mozart in 1780 and was his last piece of choral music for use in Salzburg Cathedral. It is scored for choir, soloists and orchestra and contains some of Mozart’s best known and most loved choral music.
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Saturday 22 October, 7.30pm - 9.30pm
Saturday 12 November, 7.30pm - 9.45pm
Hertfordshire Chorus presents: Karl Jenkins: The Armed Man and Shruthi Rajasekar: Sarojini
PhotographyCollinsEmma©
Join us for an evening of your favourite Christmas Carols sung by the spectacular Hertfordshire Chorus with lots of opportunities for audience participation, in this annual Christmas Charity Concert in aid of Willow, a charity providing special days for seriously ill young adults.
Willow Carol Concert
Tickets from £14, available from our website.
Somewhere 2 Sing At Christmas
Sunday 4 December, 3pm - 4.15pm
St Albans Bach Choir Carol Concerts
Contemporary choir group Somewhere 2 Sing are bringing together 150 singers from across the region and beyond, for a magical Christmas concert of popular music and seasonal favourites.
7pm Evening Concert
3pm Family Concert
Join St Albans Bach Choir for two concerts of Christmas Music with Embassy Brass.
Tickets £7 for adults and £1 for children under 16, available from our website.
Tickets from £16, available from our website.
The Carol Concert by The Hospice of St Francis
Saturday 3 December, 6.15pm and 8.30pm
Celebrate the festive season with The Hospice of St Francis. Returning for its sixth year, The Carol Concert will again feature performances by talented local choirs as well as plenty of opportunities for merry audience participation!
Tuesday 6 December, 7.30pm - 9pm
Saturday 10 December, 3pm and 7pm
Tickets from £10, available from our website.
Tickets from £13 for adults and £6 for children under 16, available from our website.
Jones©Aaron Advent & Christmas Join us for the festive season! Look out for our special Advent and Christmas brochure for full details in December. Advent Procession Sunday 27 November, 6pm Christingle Sunday 11 December, 3pm Carols on the Hour Saturday 17 December, 11am - 4pm, on the hour every hour Nativity Trail Saturday 17 December, 12noon Parish Eucharist with Nativity Sunday 18 December, 9.30am Lessons and Carols Wednesday 21 and Thursday 22 December, 7.30pm Crib Services Saturday 24 December, 1pm and 2.30pm Christmas Eve Vespers Saturday 24 December, 5.30pm Midnight Mass Saturday 24 December, 11pm Christmas Day Sunday 25 December Eucharist | 8am Parish Eucharist | 9.30am Choral Eucharist | 11.15am Boxing Day Carols Monday 26 December, 4pm
9am Eucharist
8am Eucharist
11.15am Choral Eucharist (1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th Sundays)
Saturdays
7.30am Morning Prayer
12noon Eucharist at the Shrine 5pm Evensong (Evening Prayer on a Monday)
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11.15am Matins (3rd Sundays)
Monthly Services
4th Wednesday 10am Mothers’ Union Eucharist 5th Sunday 2.30pm Diocesan Service for the Deaf
A Day Chaplain is available to talk most days.
12noon Eucharist at the Shrine
4pm Evensong
Weekdays
8am Eucharist
Orthodox Liturgy
9.30am Parish Eucharist
Sundays
8.30am Morning Prayer
A service is held once a month on a Tuesday at 10.30am. Please see the website for more information.
Whether you prefer silent prayer or meditation, attending services or lighting a candle, we welcome all to worship. It is the heartbeat of our life at the Cathedral.
12.15pm Eucharist (3rd Sundays) 6pm Evensong
The Cathedral also has a thriving Ecumenical Chaplaincy, regularly holding services for different Christian traditions. Roman Catholic Mass is celebrated every Friday at 12noon. German Lutheran
RegularWorshipServices
Ecumenical Services
A service in German is held on the last Tuesday of every month at 7pm. Free Church
1st Wednesday of every month at 11am.
Sunday 9 October, 9.30am
Blessing of School Bags
All Souls
Sunday 11 September, 9.30am
Sunday 30 October, 8am, 9.30am and 11.15am
Wednesday 2 November, 5pm
Celebrating Adult Learning
Blessing of Sumpter Yard
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The Cathedral hosts many special services throughout the year, reflecting the church year and supporting local organisations.
Installation of Canon for Mission and Pastoral Care
Special Services
Saturday 25 September, 4pm
Harvest Festival
Rememberance Sunday
Sunday 13 November, 9.30am and 10.55am
All Saints Sunday
Saturday 10 September, 4pm
Saturday 17 September, 4pm
Tutankhamun: Excavating the Archive
Join Dr Onyeka Nubia, a pioneering and internationally recognised historian, for this talk marking Black History Month.
Speaker: Peter Stanford, Author and Broadcaster Tickets £10 (students £6), available from our website.
Wednesday 28 September, 7.30pm - 9pm, Alban Room. Online via Zoom Webinar within 24 hours.
Speaker: Professor Tim Boatswain, Professor of Anthropology and History Tickets £10 (students £6), available from our website.
Join us for a special service marking the achievements and dedication of our students, attendees and tutors. Refreshments will be served afterwards.
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Talks
Speaker: Dr Onyeka Nubia, FRHistS, Historian, Writer and Lecturer Tickets £10 (students £6), available from our website.
Speaker: Dr Daniela Rosenow, Griffith Institute, University of Oxford Tickets £10 (students £6), available from our website.
Sunday 25 September, 6pm - 7pm, Quire
Wednesday 9 November, 7.30pm - 9pm, Alban Room. Online via Zoom Webinar within 24 hours.
Evensong: Celebrating Adult Learning
Explore the art and architecture of the Coptic Orthodox Church, and delve into the tumultuous yet fascinating history of the Coptic people.
Marking Black History Month
Thursday 24 November, 7.30pm - 9pm, Alban Room. Online via Zoom Webinar within 24 hours.
Celebrate the centenary of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb and get a glimpse into some fascinating material showing its excavation.
St Albans Cathedral is pleased to offer a rich programme of adult learning events designed to explore faith, history and culture from many different angles.
Thursday 13 October, 7.30pm - 9pm, Online via Zoom Webinar
The Coptic Church: History, Art and Architecture
If These Stones Could Talk
Learn more about the unique history of Christianity in the British Isles, as told through its sacred buildings.
For details on these and all our other talks, courses and discussion groups, visit www.stalbanscathedral/adult-learning
To find out more, please visit www.stalbanscathedral.org/archives
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Check our Library and Archives webpages for opening hours and how to visit.
Join our monthly Book Club to enjoy lively and thought-provoking discussion about a range of different books. You can also keep up your Latin, New Testament Greek, Hebrew or Old English with our language discussion groups.
Library and Archives
The library at St Albans Cathedral is a modern theological lending library which offers members a wide range of resources on topics such as theology, biblical studies, philosophy and ethics. Located above the Welcome Centre, the library is now fully open for browsing and borrowing books, and private study.
The Archives are a treasure-trove of photographs, books, letters, drawings, and other documents which tell the story of the Cathedral and Abbey.
To find out more, please visit www.stalbanscathedral.org/library
Reading and Discussion Groups
Group Tours
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Tickets £10, available from our website. Restrictions apply. Please see the website for details.
Varying days and times
These tours are a great introduction to the Cathedral, its history, and its treasures. Our expert Guides will take you through our rich and varied history, exploring features such as our stunning medieval wall paintings, spectacular stained glass windows, and the shrine of Alban, Britain’s first saint.
Free admission, donations welcome. Please see the website for details.
We are delighted to offer our new free guided tours for individuals with visual impairments. A dedicated group of guides have been trained to deliver these audio-described tours so that our magnificent building can be more acessible. Tickets are free and available from our website. Please see the website for details.
Weekdays 11.30am, 1.05pm and 2.30pm Saturdays 11.30am, 1.05pm and 2pm Sundays 1.05pm and 2.30pm
Daily Guided Tours
Visually Impaired Persons Tour
Selected dates and times
Tower Tours
Tours
Discover stories from 1700 years of history as you embark upon exciting journeys around the Cathedral on our special tours.
Fridays 30 September, 28 October and 25 November, 1.30pm for all
To allow you to make the most of your visit to the Cathedral, we ask groups of 6 or more to book their tours in advance. The Guides can provide a general tour or something specially tailored to your group’s needs or interests. Please get in touch mail@stalbanscathedral.org or call us on 01727 890200.
Climb the 211 steps up to the top of the oldest Cathedral tower in Britain and experience fantastic views of St Albans. Go behind closed doors and explore the roof spaces and visit the ringing and bell chambers, before the final climb onto the roof of the tower (weather permitting).
Evening Pilgrimages offer a guided walk through the Cathedral, accompanied by historical insights, prayers, and silence. They are suitable for parishes, ecumenical groups, prayer groups, deaneries and so on. They start with light refreshments in the Abbot’s Kitchen, and end with Compline by candlelight and a visit to the Shrine of St Alban. Find out more on our website.
Selected dates, 8pm and 8.30pm
Tickets £18, available from our website.
Selected dates, 7.15pm - 9.15pm
Selected dates, 1.30pm
Sumpter Yard Revived
As darkness descends, huddle around and meet the characters - both monks and pilgrims - for whom this great abbey was once home. See, hear, feel and even smell the inspiring tales these men and women have to tell.
Discover more of the treasures of the Cathedral with an experienced guide.
Selected dates in September, 11am and 3pm
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More to Explore Tours
Sunday 18 September | The Cathedral in the 20th and 21st
Abbey by Night
Join us on this brand new tour to celebrate our recently revived Sumpter Yard. Discover how the monks used the garden, what happened to the space after the Dissolution of the Monasteries and explore our new landscape. Free tickets available from our website.
October | Chantry Chapels
Free tickets available from our website.
Sundaycenturies9
Sunday 13 November | The High Altar Screen: Saints and Sinners
Evening Pilgrimages
Friday 16 September, 7pm - 9pm
Starry Night at St Albans Cathedral | Heritage Open Days
Celebrate the amazing work of the local learning-disabled community with Trestle Theatre’s brand new community festival. Featuring a variety of singing groups and choirs presenting their own pieces and also coming all together to perform a brand new song using their own words, written and arranged by Music 24. Tickets from £2, available from www.trestle.org.uk
Peter Marlow’s The English Cathedral
Tuesday 1 November - Thursday 1 December
Join us for an out-of-this-world experience star gazing on the Orchard. Explore St Albans Cathedral’s astounding inventions, including the fourteenth century Wallingford Clock, and have a go at painting your own version of Van Gogh’s Starry Night. Free tickets available from our website.
Wild Snaps
Now in its third year, Wild Snaps is Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust’s annual amateur wildlife photography competition. Photographers were invited to submit their entries with the best going on display at the Cathedral. The aim of Wild Snaps is to connect more people with nature in Hertfordshire and Middlesex. Free admission, donations welcome.
All About Us Festival
Herts Musical Memories
Saturday 1 October - Wednesday 19 October
Exhibitions CommunityandEvents
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All are invited to watch, listen or join in with this vibrant singing session for those living with dementia, their carers and their families. Hosted by Herts Musical Memories, it promises to be a fun and therapeutic afternoon guaranteed to raise a smile. Free, no booking required.
‘The English Cathedral’ is an ambitious photographic project documenting all 42 of England’s Anglican cathedrals by the late Magnum photographer Peter Marlow. These remarkable photographs show the full splendour of the interiors of some of England’s most magnificant buildings using only natural light to capture these iconic landmarks. Free admission, donations welcome.
Monday 3 October, 2pm - 3pm
Sunday 27 November, 1.30pm - 3pm
Immerse yourself in fantastic photography and magical music this season.
WilkinsonPaul©
Fireworks Spectacular Join us for the annual St Albans Fireworks Spectacular in Verulamium Park! Saturday 5 November. Gates open from 6pm, fireworks at 7.30pm Come and enjoy this spectacular display in Verulamium Park, in aid of local charities Rennie Grove Hospice, Emmaus and The Living Room. Early bird tickets | Adult £7.50, children uner 16 £4. children 3 and under free, family £17.50. Booking opens from the beginning of October.
Abbey Tots Service
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We offer an exciting array of clubs for young people at the Cathedral.
Meeting on Tuesday mornings, this popular parent and toddler group is open to all. Come along and join these weekly get togethers with toys, drinks and snacks followed by a little singsong for pre-school children and their parents or carers. Free, tickets available on our website.
Fridays, 6.30pm, Alban Room
A youth group for those aged 8-12 which meets on Fridays during term time. It’s the perfect opportunity to worship, socialise and have fun on a Friday evening!
Tuesdays, 10am, Offa Room
This service for pre-school age children includes Bible stories, songs, instruments, music and prayers, as well as a light picnic for children and their teddy bears. Free, no booking required.
PhotographyCollinsEmma©
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Thursdays, 10am, St Michael Chapel
St Albans Young Singers
Young People
Email our Youth Chaplain calum.zuckert@stalbanscathedral.org for more information.
Free, no tickets required. Email our Youth Chaplain calum.zuckert@stalbanscathedral.org for more information.
Mondays, 5pm
A singing group for young people aged 6-12 which sings many different styles of music. The group is open to anyone who is enthusiastic about music.
Abbey Tots
For more information on how to join the Friends and support its important and valuable work for the Cathedral, please visit us at www.stalbanscathedral.org/friends or email us at Friends@stalbanscathedral.org. Alternatively, you can contact Hazel Ireson, Membership Secretary on 01582 832312
The Friends of St Albans Cathedral
The Friends of St Albans Cathedral is an independent charity providing financial and practical support to the Cathedral.
Dean Jo Kelly-Moore
“The Friends of St Albans Cathedral are not only part of the heart of our community life in their ‘friend-raising’ in our midst, they are also a key part of the ongoing flourishing of our mission and ministry with their generous support.”
Friends of St Albans Cathedral St Albans Cathedral Sumpter Yard, St Albans, Herts AL1 1BY
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The Friends play a vital role in enabling the life and work of our glorious building to flourish and thrive as it has done for nearly 1000 years.
Adopt St CathedralAlbans
From just £25, each bespoke Gift Pack includes details of the adoption, a certificate and your personal message - perfect for wrapping up or sending through the post. Even better, your gift supports the future of this historic Cathedral. Adoptions last a lifetime (100 years) and are recorded under the name of your choosing in our archives in perpetuity.
A gift with a difference
Adoptions can be made as a gift, personal donation or in memory of a loved one. Adoption levels range from £25 to £1000 in each of the three categories.
Choose a Roman brick from the Norman tower, a pipe from the Harrison & Harrison organ, or a historic page, image or manuscript from the Cathedral archive.
Find out more about our Adopt scheme at www.stalbanscathedral.org/adopt or email development@stalbanscathedral.org
Are you looking for a unique Christmas gift for the person who has everything? Why not adopt St Albans Cathedral!
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Opening times The Cathedral is open daily 8.30am – 5.30pm. Entry is free All donations are gratefully received. Tickets Book online at www.stalbanscathedral.org, in-person at our Box Office, located in the Cathedral Shop, or call 01727 890290. For the latest information visit our website and sign up for our What’s On newsletter. St Albans Cathedral Sumpter Yard, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 1BY Cathedral Office: 01727 890210 Email: mail@stalbanscathedral.org www.stalbanscathedral.org @StAlbansCath@stalbanscathedral /StAlbansCathedralOfficial @stalbanscathedral “... every time I visit, it feels like the first time. There’s just something breath taking about it.”
