St Michael's Church, St Albans

About

St Michael's Church is a Church of England parish church in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. Much of the building is late 10th or early 11th century, making it the most significant surviving Anglo-Saxon building in the county. It is located near the centre of the site of Roman Verulamium to the west of the modern city.

The church stands on the site of the basilica of Roman Verulamium, where, according to tradition, Saint Alban was tried before his execution during the Diocletianic Persecution. On this basis, the parish describes St Michael's as having one of the strongest claims to be the oldest site of known Christian activity in the British Isles. The church's dedication to the archangel Michael, a figure traditionally associated with warfare and conflict, may reflect this connection with the site of Alban's trial.