To Verulamium

Early start, partly to give me some scope to shelter from forecast showers, partly to get more time to look round St Albans. It kept fairly dry, so I had plenty of time to spare later.

After Elstree, I was able to wander round a roadside copse where Viatores reckoned a ridge showed the original Roman road. I can't say it was obvious. Then the Waggon & Horses, "established 1471", but, like the Cock yesterday, it was a bit too early in the day to ask them about that.

Breakfast, yes breakfast, in Radlett, a prosperous place with some very attractive buildings. Frogmore similarly is aligned along the road with some good old buildings, and remains of a ford next to the river bridge.

Entering St Albans the present-day roads leave the original Roman one, but the line of the agger can be seen across a golf course. Then it enters Verulamium proper, with some walls remaining above ground level and the overall street plan vaguely suggested by humps and bumps. As you might expect, I've visited a few Roman sites, but this open park gives the best idea of the scale of a Roman town. Very excited, too, to see reused Roman bricks (and a few columns?) in the tower of the Abbey.

Had a good look round the City in the afternoon.

Sorry, but still no pictures in this blog - still doesn't work on this phone after switching off and on, uninstalling and reinstalling app, etc.. Twitter pics OK and may have to update this after getting home.