Yesterday we took a drive out to the village of Redbourn which is just 4 miles or so from our home in St. Albans.

There’s not a lot to the village – a single high street contains most of the businesses, including antique shops at either end, a couple of pubs, a beauty and health spa, several hairdressers and general shops.

Whilst offering all the shops that most local residents need, the High Street probably isn’t the main draw for out of town visitors, most of whom probably come for a walk around the impressive village common.

The common, a large grassy heath, was once owned by the Abbey of St. Albans. There were originally two large mounds, referred to as the “Mounds of the Banners”, likely to be 8th century Saxon graves, which were excavated in 1178. Bones found in the excavations, thought to be those of St. Amphibalus, were transported with great ceremony to the Abbey. Following the dissolution of the monasteries in the 1530’s, the common passed through many hands. In 1948, the Earl of Verulam gave the common to the people of Redbourn.

There’s still plenty to see and do in Redbourn, including a few pubs worth a visit, one on a particularly lovely street village street, a couple of antique shops, and a local museum. You can find out more in the longer post I wrote about Redbourn for St. Albans People – have a look.

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