Talking Location With author Rachael Blok – ST ALBANS

14th April 2022

#TalkingLocationWith.. Rachael Blok, author of The Fall, set in St Albans 

St Albans is a Roman cathedral city, soaked in history, and it’s also the place where I’ve set all the DCI Jansen novels. It’s a beautiful city, with a rich and at times, bloody, past. It’s the perfect place to hide fictional crimes and bodies, with no one suspecting a thing.

THE FALL, my latest novel, is based in St Albans Cathedral, which overlooks Verulamium Park, the site of the Roman settlement. Even now, just strolling round the park, there are original Roman walls to be seen, a mosaic floor in the centre of the park, and a Roman theatre – the only one left in Britain, the location of my third novel, INTO THE FIRE.

There is also a lake, feeding off the River Ver. The park took centre stage in my first novel, UNDER THE ICE, when a new mother finds herself sleep-walking toward the frozen lake, in the twelve days leading to Christmas. A body is found in there and the mother hears voices in the night, with no idea what is going on. THE FALL is set in spring, rather than winter, and the research for this was much warmer!

BritainExpress.com

St Albans was first a Celtic settlement, then a Roman one. The Romans arrived in St Albans in 43 AD and the Celtic settlement, called Verlamion, became Verulamium, only to be burnt to the ground by Queen Boudicca in 61 AD, when the Romans rebuilt the settlement in brick rather than wood. It became the third largest Roman town in Britain. I’ve walked almost every inch of the this park, which spans 100 acres. THE FALL, as well as UNDER THE ICE, features a search for a missing person, and there are many great hiding places, with woods at the top of the park, weeping willows and hidden spots along the banks of the River Ver.

St Albans Cathedral began as an Abbey, the origins of which are thought to date back to 793 AD, on the site of the death of St Alban. Alban sheltered a fleeing priest by the name of Amphibalus. By wearing the priest’s robes and allowing himself to be taken away by the authorities, Alban saved the life of Amphibalus and became the first Christian martyr. His shrine is found in the cathedral today.

The Cathedral is the oldest site of continuous Christian worship in England. It has some stunning features, such as the longest nave in Britain; but the one that struck me most on early research trips is its tower – the only original church tower in Britain. At almost 150 foot, the climb up inside the winding steps feels atmospheric and timeless. It is from the this tower that a man falls in the prologue of THE FALL, beginning DCI Jansen’s dig into the past.

The Clock Tower BrtiainExpress.co.uk

Willow, the protagonist, is new to the cathedral, but is exhibiting some original draft copies of Milton’s Paradise Lost. I wanted the literal fall at the beginning of the novel to be rooted in the religious fall, as this novel is about sin and human frailty. Willow is fascinated by the history of the cathedral, and this was easy to convey, as I was equally fascinated when the guides took me round. Tours are run for free in the Cathedral, and there is also a Welcome Centre, complete with Exhibition Centre and café. I was lucky enough to go up in the Belfry and see the bells themselves.

The city is crammed with history. Walking up from the cathedral into the town, you will find The Clock Tower – the only original free-standing medieval town belfry in England, built around 1405.

The city is also a bustling market town, with a regular market every Wednesday and Saturday, a Farmers Market every month and also regular antiques and visiting French markets. Reputedly there has been a market outside of the abbey since the 10^th century. Willow shops here, and it was a beautiful sunny day when I explored the market.

The Alban Bun englishcathedrals.co.uk

THE FALL begins the week before Easter, and the most delicious part of my research was to try an Alban Bun, the precursor to the actual hot cross bun, which are sold at the Cathedral. This is said to originate with Brother Thomas Rocliffe, a 14^th Century Monk who created the recipe and from 1361 distributed these buns to feed the poor on Good Friday. It didn’t make its way into the novel, but I can highly recommend sampling one if you ever visit!

RACHAEL BLOK

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