Launch

This June, our new Welcome Centre and Exhibition area will open! 22 June, St Albans Day, will mark this significant moment in the Cathedral's history, with lots of wonderful activities taking place to celebrate, including our annual Alban Pilgrimage, a brand new Roman Festival and much more! But this isn't the end of the story - many more exciting developments will continue into the autumn and beyond. Watch this space...

Alban, Britain's First Saint: Telling the Whole Story

The story of Britain’s First Saint, Alban, is not well known and, despite its role in British history, St Albans Cathedral does not have the high profile it merits. To address this and to improve our visitor welcome, we have secured funding from the Lottery Heritage Fund, and over 1000 donors, to make significant structural, interpretative and programming
improvements, including:

• A new welcome centre
• A compelling new presentation of the story of Alban
• An educational centre for school children
• An adult study centre and library
• An exhibition area
• An extensive programme of visitor activities
• New opportunities for volunteers

St Albans Cathedral deserves to be far better known as the oldest Christian site in Britain, with a uniquely long and rich history to tell. With this grant, we can present the Cathedral's treasures in a much more attractive way, which includes illuminating the medieval wall paintings and rebuilding the ruined medieval shrine of St Amphibalus.

- The Dean of St Albans

The project: key aims and objectives

• To raise the profile of St Albans Cathedral, nationally and internationally
• To communicate the story of Britain’s First Saint and the role St Albans Cathedral has played in the nation’s history in a more compelling way
• To engage new audiences - in particular locals, non-local visitors (day trippers); special educational needs (SEND) visitors and younger audiences (18-35) - and increase our visitor numbers by 35% by 2021
• To grow and develop our congregations
• To improve our visitor welcome and experience, with particular emphasis on SEND visits and improved access throughout the building
• To offer a more diverse range of events and activities to appeal to a wider age range and present St Albans Cathedral in a more modern and engaging way.