Diocesan House, St Albans, Grade II listed former coaching inn in St Albans, England
Diocesan House is a historic building on Verulam Road featuring nineteenth-century architecture with a distinctive Lombardic-style tower adjoining its main structure. The property includes a chapel and operates today as a nursing and residential care facility for residents.
Built in 1826 as The Verulam Arms, a coaching inn that served travelers passing through the region, the building was transformed into a Bishop's Palace in 1908. During the Second World War, it was repurposed to accommodate women giving birth, serving evacuees from London.
The chapel within the building continues to host religious services today, connecting its current function to its spiritual heritage. This ongoing practice links the place to its role as a seat of religious authority over many decades.
The location is easily accessible from Verulam Road and the grounds can be visited during regular opening hours. Visitors should be aware this is an active care facility, so it is advisable to inquire beforehand or respect restricted areas.
More than two thousand babies were born here between 1939 and 1946 by women evacuated from London during wartime. This remarkable number reflects how vital this location became for protecting mothers and newborns during the conflict.
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