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The City of St Albans owes its origin to Saint Alban. Much of the city's history depends on the existence of his shrine and the development of the great monastery that grew up around it.

Bede's Ecclesiastical History tells us that Alban, while still a Pagan, gave shelter to a Christian priest who was hiding from his persecutors. Alban himself was converted to Christianity, and gave himself up in the priest's place when his pursuers came to claim him. Alban refused to denounce his Christianity, and was sentenced to be beheaded.

Alban's execution took place on a hill about 500 paces beyond the city wall of Roman Verulamium. According to Bede, when the peace of Christian times was restored, a church was built on the spot to commemorate his martyrdom.

Bede dates the martyrdom during the reign of emperor Diocletian in the early fourth century, but more recent research places it more likely in the reign of the emperor Septimius Severus in the third century - the year 209 fits various details of the story quite well.

We can be fairly certain that Alban was a Roman citizen of Verulamium, and the hill on which he was executed was the hill on which the present-day Abbey Church stands.

Soon after the martyrdom there must have been a shrine of some sort on the spot, which Germanus, Bishop of Auxerre, visited in 429. A monastery may have existed there even before the time of Offa II, King of Mercia, who re-established it in 793. The town of St Albans grew up around the monastery, and the main road (Watling Street) was diverted to pass through the fledgling town.

The Abbey Church of St Albans has only had cathedral status since 1877. Like most English cathedrals the present building consists of a successive wave of restorations and additions.

This can be seen from the outside, from the difference between the yellow stone of Lord Grimthorpe's west end restoration in the 1870s, and the red brick and grey flint of Paul de Caen's tower and transepts, and there is evidence of two different periods of building in the nave which lies between.

St Albans Abbey Cathedral is the second longest church in England, with a length of 550 feet. The original Norman church was nearly 200 feet shorter, consisting of a chancel, tower, transepts and a nave of nine bays, still to be seen on the north side of the church.

Approximately 100 years later, in the abbacies of John de Cella (1195 - 1214) and William de Trumpington (1214 - 1235) the nave was extended west to more or less its present length. This gives us the four bays on the north side and the five westernmost bays on the south side in the Early English style.

In 1323 two of the Norman columns on the south side collapsed, and five bays on that side had to be rebuilt, but the designer kept to the plans of the Early English bays.

The vaulting shafts, visible on the spandrels of the earlier arches are replaced on the new bays by label stops in the shape of heads, identified (from west to east) as those of Master Geoffrey, (the master mason at the time), King Edward II, Queen Isabella of France, and Hugh de Eversden (abbot during the first stage of rebuilding).

The massive height of the Norman tower arches, built by Abbot Paul de Caen between 1077 and 1088, is impressive. The triforium arches of the transepts contain pillars which have a certain Saxon character - it's possible they were taken from King Offa II of Mercia's church.

The finest Norman decoration in the Abbey is to be found in the doorway at the southern end. The base of the reliquary of St Alban's shrine, with its Purbeck marble carved and decorated with gems, has been meticulously restored - it was broken into more than 2000 pieces during the Reformation. The carvings depict, on the west side, the scene of Alban's martyrdom, and, on the south side, King Offa II of Mercia holding a model of his Saxon church.

On the dissolution of the monastery its site and buildings were handed over to Sir Richard Lee, a military engineer. The year was 1539, and it was not long before the extensive monastery buildings, which occupied the area between Holywell Hill, the river Ver, Abbey Mill Lane and the Abbey Church, were demolished, leaving only the church itself and the Great Gateway.

Wherever modern tourists go in the city of St Albans, they cannot help notice the great Abbey Church up on the hill. Even if they didn't come on a pilgrimage to the shrine of St Alban, as did most of their medieval counterparts - the Abbey's tall Norman tower and long nave dominate the skyline.

For framed prints of St Albans and other towns in the UK click here: England posters [http://framedartposters.net/posters/subjects/travel/world-regions/europe/browse-europe/united-kingdom/browse-the-united-kingdom/england/-/cat-9342/apws-c0]

Up And Coming French City Destinations

Annecy
Situated in a magnificent location, on Annecy Lake, with the stunning Aravis Mountains located in the background, this location is home to the International Festival of Animated Films that is held annually in June. During the Festival, all of the theatres in the town show films that are involved in the competition. The town is located to the east of Lyon.

The location is known as the "Venice of Savoie", as it has a very medieval town centre, which is constructed around The Château d'Annecy, which is a castle that dominates the town. The castle has been tastefully transformed into Musée Château d''Annecy, a terrific museum that displays and gives historical background on Savoyard artwork and craftworks. Other historical monuments include the Palais De l’Isle, a prison in the town from the 12th century.

Cahors
Cahors is located to the north of Toulouse, is in the Pyrenees area and is the capital of the Quercy Region. It is positioned in a place inside a bend of the River Lot. It is a historic town with plenty of antique buildings, quaint shopping streets and a very impressive cathedral. Cahors is a perfect place to explore the Quercy Region. The Region has plenty of medieval villages, vineyards, castles and the imposing cliffs carved out of limestone that provide a backdrop to the Lot and Cele rivers.

Cahors itself has plenty to see and do – make sure to check out the medieval bridge from the 14th century period. This bridge, which is called Pont Valentrè, covers the River Lot and has towers and arches and it is most impressive. The bridge was completed in 1378. Also check out the Cathedral of St Etienne and the Arc de Dianne. Also worth a visit in Cahors is the Henri Martin Museum. For some great views from a height, take a train ride from Cahors through the valley to Saint Cirq-Lapopie. Outside Cahors itself, you could take a trip to the renowned world heritage cave paintings at Pech Merle to the east of the town and Font de Gaume to the west.

Food and Drink are popular industries in the town – check out the dark Cahors Wine, which has been in production here since Roman times. The markets that take place on both Wednesday and Saturdays give a great insight into the laid back atmosphere in the town, and you can enjoy sampling the wonderful local cuisine.

Lille
The northern French city of Lille is well connected by rail and road – so no excuse for not taking a visit there! The city has an architectural style of his own, and this is somewhere in the medium between Flemish and baroque. The city has been recognised as a city of Art and History since 2004. There are a large number of conserved buildings and historic monuments, which bear testimony to the strong heritage of the city. Some of the most popular monuments to visit include the wonderful example of 17th century military buildings, the Citadelle Park and Fortress, which was styled by Vauban.

La Vieille Bourse is a reminder of the Spanish stranglehold on the region, together with an amalgamation of French and Flemish cultures. La Grand Place symbolises the French resistance against the Austrians in the 18th century. Don’t forget to take a trip to the Rue de la Monnaie, where coins were minted over previous centuries. And finally, another landmark in Lille certainly worth exploring is the Opera House in the Place du Theatre. After a fire devastated the building in the early 1900’s it was rebuilt in the style of Louis XVI by Louis Cordonnier. The building is wonderfully decorated, with sculptures of icons from the Greek era.

If you are interested in shopping, then Lille is definitely a place to check out. There are plenty of markets to be enjoyed in the town, particularly at Christmas time with the market at the Place Rihour. You can sample plenty of the stunning cuisine local to Lille at these markets. The cuisine is in typical Flemish tradition and offers wonderful meat and fish dishes.  There are plenty of shops in the city, and the wide variety of shops suit all budgets and tastes.

For some fine sights as you shop, check out the Old Lille town with its narrow cobblestone streets and lined with typical Flemish buildings. If antiques and art galleries are your thing, check out La Grand Place or La Place du Concert.

Saint Etienne
The city is located in the Massif Central in the centre east of France. Located in wonderful countryside, with snow covered mountains, and green valleys, and cascading lakes and rivers. The city of Saint Etienne is home to some astounding half timber houses that date from the 16th century, and you will come across plenty of these during your visit, especially if you venture in the direction of the old quarter of Saint Jacques.

Saint Etienne is home to the Musée d'Art Moderne which has a great collection of modern art. Another museum worth visiting is the Musée de la Mine, which is located on the site of the largest mining workplace of the 20th century. Take a trip down the shaft of the mine and find out what life was like for workers here. As you retrace the steps of the miners you will take a trip in a cage down to the pit, and then onto the lampstore. From the exhibitions you can learn all about mining.
One of the main architectural delights is the wonderful Notre Dame church, which dates from the 18th century.

Tours
Located in the Loire Region, it is said that the purest form of the French language is spoken in Tours! The city has a rich and cosmopolitan feel to it, with wide-open boulevards and lush public parks and garden areas. It is no wonder that Tours is called "Le Jardin de la France" (The Garden of France). Tours is positioned between two rivers, the Cher to the south, and the Loire to the North.

One of the many factors in choosing Tours as a holiday destination has to be the chance to sample the wonderful wine of the region, from white Vouvrays to Montlouis. There are also some fine castles to be seen in the region including Langeais and Chenonceau. Check out Le Vieux Tours, which is the old town with its half-timber buildings, the courtyards and La Place Plumereau. This is a square with museums, art galleries, street cafes and restaurants, and well worth exploring. The weekly markets at Boulevard Beranger are also well worth checking out.

Close to the cathedral, in the garden of the Musée des Beaux-Arts lies a huge cedar tree, which is said to have been planted by Napoleon.

Have we tempted you to check out some of these emerging French locations? The best way to get around is to rent a car. For the very best options available visit our Car Hire France page.

About the Author

John writes for Novacarhire.com - an independent car hire reservation website where you can book low cost car hire at over 5000 locations worldwide.

How would I use a lawnmower engine to power a go cart?

I've got a frame and an old push style lawn mower I'm about to rebuild. I'ts pretty weak (5.5 hp briggs) but I don't have much of a budget. The biggest dilema is getting the power to the rear wheels with the vertical shaft. I was thinking chain driven, little differential if they made them, rack and pinion gears, or maybe some kind of front engine with a driveshaft thing. I've been thinking about it a lot and I'm stumped, any ideas?

Thanks

have you ever seen a rear differential on a truck?

go to a junk yard, buy a ford 9 inch rear axle, make sure you get the driveshaft or at least cut the end of it off and take it with, get your welder weld the driveshaft yoke on the output shaft of the motor, now cut the axle tubes and the actual axles to the length you need, take that length out of the middle of the axle housings because the 9 inch axles are held in at the wheel end not the diff end. since its only a 5.5hp it will be fine... i dont know if i left some stuff out or not, once you get started you will see how its gonna come together.

oh and this would require some ground clearance that you might not have planned for, around here any kart gets mud tires.

Bad Reichenhall: Salty waters soothe body and mind
While riding the Mozart Radweg, a 250-mile bicycle route in southern Germany and Austria, my husband and I made a quick stop at the German spa town of Bad Reichenhall.

Thanks for visiting!