History is better when you can experience it for yourself.
Throughout the year, the Ealing Historical Association organises guided visits to historic buildings, museums, and places of historical interest in London and beyond. Our visits are relaxed, friendly, and informal, with small groups and plenty of opportunity to explore, ask questions, and enjoy history together.
Our next visit takes us to one of England’s great historic cities:
St. Albans Cathedral
Saturday 17th October 2026
Join the Ealing Historical Association for a guided visit to St Albans Cathedral, with the option to continue to the Roman city of Verulamium in the afternoon.
Just a short train journey from London, St Albans offers an extraordinary concentration of history from Roman Britain and the story of Britain’s first saint to a medieval abbey, the Reformation and the making of modern St Albans.
Our visit will include a guided tour of St Albans Cathedral. The Cathedral stands on the site associated with St Alban, traditionally regarded as Britain’s first saint and martyr. His story reaches back to the Roman city of Verulamium, where he is said to have sheltered a Christian priest fleeing persecution. The site subsequently became an important place of pilgrimage, and the medieval Abbey grew into one of England’s great religious houses.
There is plenty to discover inside the Cathedral, including its remarkable Norman architecture, medieval treasures, and the shrines of St Alban and St Amphibalus. St Albans is the only cathedral in Britain to contain two medieval pedestal shrines.
The Cathedral also has a remarkable connection with Roman Britain: much of the Norman building was constructed using bricks and tiles salvaged from the ruins of Roman Verulamium.
Optional: Verulamium Museum
Those who would like to continue exploring St Albans’ Roman past can make an optional afternoon visit to Verulamium Museum.
Built on the site of one of the largest Roman cities in Britain, the museum brings Roman everyday life to life through archaeological discoveries, reconstructed rooms and some of the finest Roman mosaics outside the Mediterranean.
The museum is open until 4pm, with admission charged separately. Current group admission for groups of more than 15 is £5 per person.
The Details
Participants should make their own way to St Albans using public transport. Regular fast trains run from London St Pancras to St Albans City, making this an easy day trip from London.
Cathedral tour: 12 noon
Estimated tour cost: £10 per person
Verulamium Museum: optional, additional admission charge
Date: Saturday 17 October 2026
Are You Interested in Joining Us?
We need a minimum of 10 participants for the visit to go ahead.
If you would like to join us, please register your interest by providing your name and email address or telephone number to hello@ealinghistory.org.uk.
Please register your interest as soon as possible. Places will be confirmed once we know whether we have enough participants.
Past Visits
Our guided visits have taken EHA members to a wide range of historic places in London and beyond, including:
- Harrow School – October 2025
- Reading Museum and Reading Abbey Quarter – April 2024
- RAF Bunker & Museum, Uxbridge – April 2023
- The Postal Museum, London – October 2022
- Eel Pie Island and Twickenham – April 2022
- The Cinema Museum – March 2020
- Fulham Palace – October 2019
- Southwark Cathedral
- Two Temple Place
- The Charterhouse
- The Old Bailey
- Alexander Fleming Museum, St Mary’s Hospital
- Bunhill Fields, Wesley’s House and the Museum of Methodism
- Antwerp – May–June 2015
We’re looking forward to adding some new destinations to the list.
Right now, we’re thinking about:
- London Livery Halls: A guided visit to one of London’s historic livery halls, such as Drapers’ Hall, offering a chance to explore the history of London’s ancient guilds and their continuing role in the City. Drapers’ Hall currently offers group tours by appointment, lasting approximately 1¾ hours. There is no formal charge, although visitors are asked to make a donation to the Drapers’ Charitable Fund.
- Jewish London: A visit exploring the history of London’s Jewish community, potentially centred on Bevis Marks Synagogue, the oldest synagogue in continuous use in the United Kingdom.
- London’s Slavery Connections: A walking tour exploring some of the places and buildings connected with London’s involvement in the transatlantic slave trade and its legacies, followed by a visit to the Museum of London Docklands and its London, Sugar & Slavery gallery.
- Bristol – Slavery, Trade and the City: A possible day visit to Bristol exploring the city’s connections with the transatlantic slave trade and the ways in which that history has shaped the city.
If one of these particularly interests you, let us know — expressions of interest will help us decide which visits to develop. Alternatively, if you know of a historic building, museum, exhibition, or place that would make an interesting EHA visit, we’d love to hear your suggestions.