Veteran Guide Continues to Discover Cathedral’s History

Stephen de Silva, the most tenured active guide at St Albans Cathedral, currently observing his 46th Christmas in this position, discusses the significance of recounting the cathedral’s history and his continuous acquisition of knowledge about the edifice. This cathedral, revered as a shrine dedicated to Britain’s inaugural saint, holds the distinction of being the longest-standing location for uninterrupted Christian worship within Britain. Upon relocating to St Albans in 1979, Mr. de Silva initially perceived the Norman cathedral as “a nice place to go to church.” However, his background as a drama and religious education teacher, coupled with his experience and communication abilities, quickly garnered attention, leading to the observation that he “would make a wonderful guide.” He recounted that, during that era, only “a handful of people” were available who “occasionally did a tour if somebody asked.” “You went round with the head guide twice and then you were a guide,” he stated. “Today we make [trainee guides] jump through hoops, quite rightly because they’re representing the cathedral to large numbers of people,” he added. He articulated that, in addition to elucidating the building’s history, the guides’ “core purpose is to talk about the importance of the Christian faith and what that means to people and how it’s guided them through the ages.” While he acquired his knowledge through practical experience, he acknowledged that he is “still learning.” He explained, “It will usually come about when a member of the public says ‘what’s that?’,” prompting the guide to think, “Oh what IS that?” “It’s usually a little detail in a window, or a carving… and, of course, research changes as well,” he elaborated. He cited an instance where, 45 years prior, the estimated date for Alban’s death was 209 AD, a figure derived from a manuscript subsequently disproven. Currently, the date is approximated to the year 300, a fact corroborated by archaeological evidence. “Archaeology is always changing the way we think about things,” he commented. He expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “I love that kind of historical puzzle, somebody will write a learned paper and you’ll go ‘gosh I’d not really looked at it that way’.” He further mentioned his preference for narrating stories centered on individuals, as people “relate to them,” underscoring that the cathedral’s narrative encompasses not only the structure itself but also the individuals who have interacted with it. He provided the example of Thomas de la Mare, who acquired his memorial brass in 1349 – which the Abbey retains to this day – after falling ill in Europe and anticipating his demise. “Then he lived another 50 years,” Mr. de Silva recounted, adding, “the face on the brass is of a 30-something but he was 89 when he died.” “I like telling that story because people laugh,” he explained. He observed a shift in visitor profiles over time, particularly following the cathedral’s Alban project, an endeavor launched 10 years ago with the aim of elevating the church’s public recognition. “One of the aims was to increase numbers and to widen our audience and those two things have happened now,” he affirmed. “Twenty or 30 years ago we maybe got those who would visit all the stately homes and cathedrals until they came out of their ears, but I think we do get a broader range of visitors now who are more generally interested and I like that,” he elaborated on the change. “I love showing it to foreign visitors because they are usually hugely impressed by it, but the big challenge with them is lots of them don’t have a background in English history so you can’t take things for granted,” he noted. “I often end up having to explain the Norman invasion or the Reformation. But I like a challenge,” he concluded regarding foreign visitors. Over the past 45 years, Mr. de Silva has served as a warden and lay canon, contributed to shaping the visitor experience, and received an MBE for his dedication to heritage and community. Recently, he authored An Illustrated Timeline, a fold-out guide detailing the building’s history through the centuries. He is also currently involved in training new guides. The cathedral currently employs approximately 60 guides and provides three daily tours, in addition to specialized tours offered as required. Prospective guides undergo a six-month training course, culminating in an assessment. He expressed his belief that “our training programme is quite well recognised by lots of other cathedrals,” and that “we were one of the first to put something like this in place.” The Very Revd Jo Kelly Moore, who serves as the Dean of St Albans, remarked that the guides, “in their extraordinary knowledge of the history of this holy place continue to bring amazement and a wealth of information to all who come here.” Alan Hartwell, the cathedral’s chief operations officer, stated: “By blending storytelling with education, our guided tours enhance visitor engagement and help ensure that our cathedral continues to be a beacon of history and inspiration for generations to come.” For updates on Beds, Herts and Bucks news, follow BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.