23 Jan 2024
Award-winning tourism film maker Julian “Joolz” McDonnell has left his usual London haunts to celebrate the delights of St Albans.
Joolz Guides claim to be among the most watched and respected videos on YouTube, offering a Londoner’s perspective on walks around the city, picking out the top sights, sounds and secret features that you wouldn’t spot without an expert guide on hand.
From Pimlico to Peckham, Holland Park to Highgate, Southwark to Soho, Joolz Guides have always been contained within the capital, until now…
His latest video, presented as a London day trip, is entitled Splendid St Albans Medieval and Roman Walk, and explores various aspects of the city’s history, including the Alban Way, The Odyssey cinema, Clarence Park and St Albans City FC, Veer Dhara, St Peter’s Church and Roman Verulamium.
Joolz Guides fans have enthused over the video.
Jim Dale said: “That was the best walk through St Albans I’ve seen.”
Maria Potter added: “Thanks for this wonderful walk round St Albans with its history.”
But Mike Elliott pointed out a couple of inaccuracies: “The Clock Tower was constructed between 1403 and 1412. London Road, from its junction with Old London Road to the crossroads at the Peahen in the city centre, was not constructed until 1794. So the “Watling Street” route is in fact Old London Road and Sopwell Lane. There were actually TWO battles of St Albans in the Wars of the Roses, in 1455 and 1461. The Roman Verulamium is not that close to the Cathedral. It is located at the bottom of the hill in Verulamium Park. In June 2002 a scapula (shoulder blade), believed to be a relic of St Alban, was presented to St Albans Cathedral and placed inside the saint’s restored 13th-century shrine.”
