Giant puppets and eyeballs on sticks: How St Albans celebrates Britain’s first saint

When you think about British saints, you likely think of the patron saints of England, Wales and Scotland – St. George, St. Andrew and St. David respectively – thanks to country-specific celebrations for each every year.

Less known is Saint Alban, Britain’s first saint, and the pilgrimage and festival that takes over the city of St Alban’s, a popular commuter town around 20 miles north-west of London, every 21 June.

With the date quickly approaching later this week, we thought it was time to correct that.

A citizen of Verulamium – the third largest town of Roman Britain that went on to become modern day St. Albans – Alban was martyred for giving shelter to the Christian priest Amphibalus around 1,700 years ago.

Little else is known about Alban, but he was supposedly executed on Holywell Hill. During his beheading, his executioner’s eyes are meant to have fallen out, and a well is said to have sprung up at the foot of the hill where Alban’s head stopped rolling (hence the hill’s name, Holywell Hill…).

The first written record of a pilgrim visiting the Shrine of St Alban comes from Germanus, Bishop of Auxerre (in current day France), in 429.

Celebrations kick off at 11am on 21 June, with a pilgrimage through the city centre. The route begins at St Peter’s Church and finishes at St Albans Cathedral, where there will be a re-enactment of the execution, complete with three-metre tall carnival puppets representing the saint, Roman Centurions, lions and chariots (and eyeballs on sticks…). You’ll also spot two Peregrine falcons among the procession, meant to represent the birds of prey which have made their home on St Albans Cathedral roof.

After the re-enactment, there will be a Pilgrimage Eucharist with The Very Revd Isaac Poobalan, at the cathedral from 12pm, as well as a Pilgrimage Evensong at 4pm.

Elsewhere in the city, there will be a street festival featuring activities including a giant jigsaw based on Roman mosaics found in St Albans, clay modelling of the medieval Clock Tower and market, and medieval badge making demonstrations. Actors from a local theatre group will also portray the residents of Roman Verulamium.

St Albans Cathedral’s Canon Kevin Walton said, “Alban is Britain’s first Christian saint and takes us right back to Roman times, but his story is still powerful today as Alban stood up for truth and justice by sheltering a persecuted stranger. It is also the reason why the city is proud to be called St Albans. We celebrate this unique story with great drama, colour, and community engagement, filling the whole length of the city’s high street.”

More information: enjoystalbans.com