The nave roof is supported by solid arches which march Eastward towards the distant screen. Further parts of the Cathedral can be seen beyond. Notice the wall paintings on the columns at left. PLAN
22. WEST WINDOW
In 1925 stained glass was added to the West window as a memorial to those of the Diocese who died in WWI. Designed by Ninian Comper, it shows the flags and arms of the allied countries which fought and some of their patron saints. St Alban is shown in the second light from the left holding his distinctive cross.
23. GLASS ABOVE THE WEST DOOR
The etched glass above the West door shows Mary and the boy Jesus at the centre, a bird at left, and a unicorn at right.
24. UPPER NAVE
The roof-supporting walls of the nave consist of three arcades. There have been some dramatic moments in the history of the nave. In 1323, as Mass was finishing, two of the Norman pillars near the front crashed outwards into the cloister, smashing the South aisle roof. We turn left now to the North wall.
25. NORTH NAVE WINDOWS
These two windows depict scenes from the New Testament. At left the angel appears to Mary, announcing the Virgin birth. At right there are two incidents. The first is the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist. The second shows the Risen Christ breaking bread with the two disciples he accompanied on the road to Emmaus. Many other incidents appear in these windows.
26. FONT AND CANDLE
Walking Eastwards along the North aisle we come to the font and Paschal candle. The font is quite simple but has a decorated cover. The Paschal candle represents the Light of Christ and is associated with the Passover.
27. HISTORIC PANEL
This panel on the North wall of the nave gives a fascinating illustrated history of St Albans Abbey.
28. MEMORIAL STONE
In the floor nearby is set this memorial stone for Mr John Tapp who died in 1812, and his wife Ann. There are a number of such memorial stones set in the Abbey floor.
29. COLUMN PAINTINGS
There were originally altars placed against the West faces of the columns on the North side, and the paintings formed a backdrop, with a Crucifixion scene above and a scene from the life of Our Lady below.
30. NORTH COLUMNS
On the South faces of the North columns are paintings of various saints, beginning from the West with St Christopher as a welcome to pilgrims. Other saints depicted are Thomas Beckett, Christina of Markyate(?), and the painting of Alban and Amphibalus.
31. NORTH NAVE WINDOWS II
Some of the windows in this wall are clear glass. However here we see at left above the entry door, St Peter (the Keys) and St Andrew (the diagonal Cross), and at right, St George (the St George Cross) and St Margaret (devout Queen of Scotland, 1045 – 1093.
32. NORTH NAVE WINDOWS III
Further along the North aisle are windows with these inserts. At left St Peter appears to be revisiting the Nativity, and the scene at right is a mystery (to me).
33. SOUTH NAVE WINDOWS
We cross over the nave and investigate the windows of the South wall, shown as they appear from West to East. From left are shown St Alban, St Paul de Caen (holding a model of the Abbey), King David (lyre), Moses (‘horns’), two unnamed saints (perhaps Mary at right?), two images of Christ.
34. SOUTH NAVE WINDOW
There is one final window at the East end of the South wall. The inserts here each show a shield with a name below. The names are H. I. B. Nicholson STP, Rector, and C. P Burney STP, Archdeacon. Dr Henry Nicholson arrived as rector in 1835 and for the next 30 years provided strong leadership for the Abbey, beginning with the formation of a restoration committee.
35. NAVE SCREEN
At the front of the nave is a colourful nave screen with an altar in front. The new sculptures of the martyrs stand in the medieval nave screen in St Albans Cathedral, which is thought to have been put up ‘quickly’ in 1350..
36. NAVE ALTAR
The nave altar carries a cloth with an interesting motif. The ‘apple’ tree with serpent on the trunk has obvious reference to the Genesis story of the Fall. But the twelve fruits are significant, as are the tree roots feeding from the Water of Life.
37. NAVE SCREEN STATUES
Seven new statues of martyrs have been installed in the niches of the nave-sanctuary screen. The sculptor is Rory Young, who has been creating them for over five years in his Cirencester workshop. It is believed that this is the first time that polychrome statues have been restored to a medieval screen since the Reformation.
38. THE SEVEN MARTYRS
The seven martyrs are from left: Oscar Romero, Archbishop of El Salvador, assassinated in 1980 for his outspoken defence of the poor. Alban Roe, a Catholic priest and martyr, arrested and imprisoned in the Abbey gatehouse until his execution in London. Amphibalus is the priest whom Alban sheltered and helped to escape; he was later martyred and his relics brought to St Albans. Alban was Britain’s first Christian martyr; around AD 303 he was executed and buried here. George Tankerfield was a Protestant martyr burned under Queen Mary opposite the Cathedral’s West front. St Elisabeth Romanova was a member of the Russian Royal Family and granddaughter of Queen Victoria, who in her widowhood became a nun and Abbess. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was imprisoned in a concentration camp for his opposition to the Nazis and executed in 1945.
39. BANNERS
A banner hangs on either side of the nave sanctuary area. The crimson banner at left shows St Alban the Martyr. It is less clear just who the figures on the right banner represent.
40. MEMORIAL BOOK
Just to the right stands a Memorial Book next to the memorial for Lt Colonel Gostling who died in 1874. Many cathedrals have memorial books remembering those who gave their lives for their country.