St Albans Cathedral Reviews Summary

Architecture and History

Pros:

• "A real mixture of styles as it had been built upon in various styles over centuries - including recycling of an original Roman wall."
• "The Rose Window and wall paintings are a highlight."
• "Lots of original wall paintings and carvings from the middle ages."
• "Unique in that it boasts the longest nave in all of Britain."
• "The architecture displays many stages of construction with different materials and styles over various eras."
• "The architecture is absolutely breathtaking, a triumph of gothic style featuring sequences of pointed arches dominating a complex cross-shaped plan."
• "The Cathedral has so much history, and there is a lot of information and points of interest dotted around the town."

Cons:

• "The building itself is relatively bland, which Abbeys are by design so it lacks the overall ornate architecture of cathedrals."
• "I really enjoyed visiting and it was very interesting, however architecturally it is a bit of a mess inside and out."
• "Sadly the current re-decoration and recent brick cleaning has removed any character it might have had."

Visitor Experience

Pros:

• "Great cathedral in the centre of this wonderful city, there are guides that take you on a tour roughly an hour in length."
• "Superb Cathedral, well laid out for visitors, lots of information boards around."
• "It's truly one of the most inspiring places I've visited, so much history its incredible inside and out."
• "Great place to visit and it's free."
• "It’s well maintained, free entry and a must see if you're in St. Albans."
• "A great place to wander and explore history that goes back to the 700s and beyond."
• "The Cathedral is always a beautiful and inspiring place."

Cons:

• "The pathways though left something to be desired."
• "The cafe has limited seating, so best to avoid it during busy times."
• "The lady in charge of the cafe is a misery. Pretty short with customers and not at all nice to the other staff."
• "Had a horrible experience a couple of months ago when my 6 year old son was told to be quiet."
• "Went there for my daughter’s Carol performance. It is a beautiful place but my experience was not too good just because it was my first time and I didn’t know the place."
• "Don't expect too much spiritualism, despite it is a destination of the pilgrims."
• "The only downside is the amount of people photographing and recording without taking into account that not everyone likes to be on social media."

Accessibility and Facilities

Pros:

• "Toilets are very clean, they have accessible ones and baby changing ones."
• "I went with my baby girl and found it perfectly accessible with a large pram."
• "Inside is a modern cafe that serves a wide range of snacks and drinks."
• "Everything is accessible, with ramps for pushchairs and wheelchairs, so nobody misses out on anything."
• "Wheelchair access throughout the Cathedral."
• "There is a toilet on site and lots of space to have a walk around in a lush green environment."
• "In the church kitchen you can find many snacks, drinks for the good price!"