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Dating back to Saxon times, the village of Hatfield was first
known as “Hetfelle” and then became known as “Haethfeld”
when around 970 King Edgar gave 5,000 acres to the monastery of
Ely. No records remain from this time until 1226 when Henry III
granted the Bishops of Ely rights to an annual four-day fair and
a weekly market. Old Hatfield retains many  historic
buildings notably the Old Palace, St. Etheldreda’s Church
and Hatfield House. The Old Palace was built by the Bishop of Ely,
Cardinal Morton, in 1497 during the reign of Henry VII and the only
surviving wing is still used today for Elizabethan Banquets. St.
Etheldreda’s Church was founded by the monks from Ely and
the first wooden church, built in 1285, was probably sited where
the existing building stands overlooking the Old Town.
Perhaps the most famous local historical landmark is Hatfield House,
seat of the Cecil family, whose history is not only closely interwoven
with that of the town but also of Tudor times. Princess Elizabeth
Tudor was confined for three years in what is now known as “The
Old Palace” in Hatfield Park. It was here in 1558, whilst
said to be sitting under an oak tree in the Park, that she received
news that she had become Queen following the death of her half-sister,
Mary. Records show that within a few days the young Queen Elizabeth
held her first Council in the Great Hall (The Old Palace) of Hatfield.
The Old Town and its trade were very dependent on the Great North
Road and during the 1880’s it became an important railway
centre. The onset of this new era in transport saw the beginnings
of the expansion of Hatfield.
The opening of the de Havilland aircraft factory prior to the Second
World War resulted in further rapid growth of the town. The birthplace
of the Mosquito, Comet and Trident ensured that the name of Hatfield
will forever be linked with the history of British aviation. The
de Havilland Company, later Hawker Siddeley and finally British
Aerospace, became the district’s largest employer. The urgent
post-war demand for new housing and the growth, locally, of de Havilland’s
and other factories resulted in Hatfield being designated as one
of the eight “new towns” to ring London. Distinct “new
town” characteristics are the number of trees and open spaces
that were outlined in the original design. The closing of British
Aerospace in 1992 had a serious impact on the area, but the site
has since seen rapid development for housing, employment, education
and recreation as well as the de Havilland Campus of the University
of Hertfordshire. The population of Hatfield has expanded to over
32,000 and is still growing. Situated in the south of Hertfordshire,
Hatfield is 20 miles to the north of London and separated from the
city by the Green Belt. The town has excellent transport links with
the nearest airport at Luton only 14 miles away. The A1 (M) and,
a few miles to the south, the M25 make for easy access to Heathrow
and Gatwick by car. The main railway link from London to York runs
through the district and there is a 22 minute commuter service to
London.
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