Saint Albans, city, Hertfordshire, southeastern England, on the Ver River, near its confluence with the Colne River. Saint Albans is located on the northern fringe of the London metropolitan area. Its chief industries are printing and the manufacture of electric equipment and musical instruments. Landmarks include the cathedral, Saint Albans Abbey (largely 11th century with 13th- and 14th- century additions), a 15th-century clock tower, and remains of the Roman town walls. The Roman settlement of Verulamium was founded here in AD43. In the 8th century Offa, king of Mercia (reigned 757-96), founded an abbey to house the bones of the first Christian martyr in England, Saint Alban, who was killed here in the early 4th century. The town of St. Albans developed around the abbey. During the Wars of the Roses, St. Albans was the scene of two battles (1455, 1461). Population (1996 estimate) 130,267.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
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