Two Delightful Villages in England: St Albans and Woburn

We spent just a week in England during July 2025 and enjoyed two very delightful English Villages for a couple of days, St. Albans and Woburn. Although we did not spend much time at either place, we spent enough time to know we would like to return and visit them in depth some day.

I also want to add much thanks and appreciation to our friends Peter and Alex who took the time to pick us up at London Heathrow, show us around St Albans and Woburn, dropped us off and picked us up at Bletchley Park, and also not only dropped us off at our hotel in St Albans but also in London as well. Their generosity and kindness meant so much plus they are so fun to be with and helped make these first couple days in England perfect. Much love to them!

Village of St Albans, England

St. Albans is located just north of London, England. It is best known for its medieval cathedral, The Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Albans. It is also boasts of ruins of the city’s ancient Roman wall which are located in Verulamium Park. There is also a museum by the same name, which displays relics, old coins, and mosaics from the area. St Albans also showcases a stately clock tower and also the oldest Pub in England. What I loved most though, was the quaint streets of this traditional English village . It took me to a more laid back easy era.

As much as we would have loved to explore St Albans and the Cathedral thoroughly, it wasn’t to be. Unfortunately our plane delay brought us in later than we planned. Our first priority, as always, is eating! Unfortunately, we were too late to go inside the Cathedral when we finished. We did enjoy snapping photos in town and of the Cathedral.

Ye Olde Fighting Cocks

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to eat at the oldest pub in England? It was fantastic! Not just for the historical and archeological aspect, but the food as well! It was my first ever experience at a British Pub and I instantly became a Pub fan. As a matter of fact, Steve and I ate at British Pubs just about every meal. We both loved the vibe and of these traditional spots.

In the year 793 a monastery stood here which is the first known building on this spot. Fast forward to the 11th century and the monks constructed a pigeon house here. In 1622 the Pigeon house was demolished and another building was constructed here. It wasn’t until 1756 that this establishment was referred to as an ale house, although that doesn’t mean it was not being used as one prior to 1756. Shortly after, this Public House became known as the Fighting Cocks due to the prevalence of cock fighting at this location. I loved this pub and especially the huge beams on the ceiling.

Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Albans

You can’t miss the Cathedral and Abbey, even if like us, you only view it from the outside. This majestic Cathedral of the Church of England was originally a monastery. It is the site where the Roman’s martyred St Albans around 250 AD. St. Albans gave shelter to a priest, who made such an impression on him, St Albans became a convert to Christianity. Refusing to denounce his newfound Christianity, St Albans was martyred. As time passed, the monastery, referred to as King Offa’s monastery, grew in status and power. The resourceful people of this area began construction of a large cathedral in 1077 here utilizing bricks and tiles from the ruins of the nearby ancient Roman town, Verulamium.

The Clock Tower

Standing 64 feet tall and having 5 floors, this clock tower, dating to 1405, has a belfry which is the only remaining medieval town belfry in England. This clock tower is testament to the townsfolk and merchants protesting the power of the nearby Abbey as once built, they could ring their own time schedule.

The Charming Streets

Of course we roamed the charming streets as we so like to do wherever we are. This quiet village is very charming and traditional. Our friends with us must of thought I was a bit strange as I gushed over all of the delightful buildings and especially the phone booths.

Village of Woburn, England

Woburn is Northwest of St. Albans. We ended up here after we toured Bletchley Park in the morning. St Woburn is another picturesque village emitting old world charm. The stately Woburn Abbey and gardens are here along with a deer sanctuary, a safari, and a heritage center.

Woburn Abbey and Gardens

Woburn Abbey is another place that started out as a monastery, this one began in 1145. The deconsecration of the Abbey happened in 1547 and the Abbey became the family seat of the First Duke of Bedford Currently, the 15th Duke of Bedford and his family reside here. Although the Abbey is usually open to visitors, it is currently undergoing renovations until spring 2026.

Woburn Safari

Much to our dismay, the Woburn Safari was also closed. It is a drive through safari with rhinos, elephants, tigers and bears! Sounds like a lot of fun! We did get to see the deer near the entrance though which was really cool as they look different than deer I see in my part of the world. Their antlers look furry although I’m not sure if they are actually furry as I didn’t want to get to close and personal.

The Charming Streets of Woburn

Like St Albans, Woburn is also a village full of the charm. I enjoyed wandering through the streets and reveled in the old world charm.

The Black Horse Pub

We ate at the Black Horse Pub. Although not a historic pub, the building itself dates to the 17th century. It most likely began as a coaching inn. As a coaching inn, this building would have served travelers food drink and accommodations in addition to a livery for their horses. For us, it served as a fun time with friends over a delicious meal! Although hot, we sat outside and had a lovely time.

St Mary’s Church

Commissioned by and designed for the 8th Duke of Bedford in 1865-1868, this grand church sits prominently in town nestled among mature trees. We did not visit the inside as all doors were locked.

Old Church of St. Mary’s

The Old Church of St Mary’s is now the Woburn Heritage Center. Originally a chapel stood on this site possibly in the 13th century which was rebuilt around 1535. In the 17th century, a tower and other renovations were added to this chapel and it became the church. Used as the parish church until the establishment of the new church in 1868. There is a cemetery behind the church which has been in use since at least the 16th century.

Where We Stayed

The Sopwell House is a beautiful countryside hotel which was the perfect place serving as our base during our first two days in England as it is located on the outskirts St Albans and not too far from Woburn. Sopwell House has lovely accommodations and beautiful gardens. I will write a post on it later as it is such a lovely place it deserves a post of it own!

Conclusion

Both Steve and I loved our first couple of days in England both at St Albans and Woburn. I was over the moon by the lovely English countrysides and villages. Both of us fell in love with the Pub vibe. Both St Albans and Woburn deserve so much more attention than we gave it which just encourages us to return. One of the major reasons we came to England was to visit Bletchley Park where Steve’s grandfather worked and is honored on the code breakers wall. I will be writing about this fascinating place in my next post.

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Check out my posts from other countries and places I have visited by clicking below:

Portugal 2024

Italy 2022, 2023

Greece 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

Colorado Various years

Utah 2020, 2025

Mexico 2017, 2019

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