Hatfield

Hatfield is a town in the English county of Hertfordshire, located 20 miles north of London. It is perhaps best known as the location of Hatfield House, an historic stately home with strong royal connections that include Queen Elizabeth I. It was formerly the base of De Havilland (subsequently taken over by British Aerospace) and it was at Hatfield that the Comet commercial jet plane was produced. The former runway is now a commercial zone, with roads named after planes produced by De Havilland.

Hatfield House North Wing

Get in

• Road: The A1(M) is built to motorway standards & runs under the Galleria centre. Use A1J3|Hatfield University, A414) or A1J4|Oldings Corner, A414) for the town centre, Hatfield House & the Galleria. The A414 goes to Hertford & Watford. The A1057 goes to St Albans. The A6129 goes to Welwyn Garden City. The A1000 (old A1 before the A1(M) was built) goes to Potters Bar.
• Rail: Services run by Great Northern operate to Hatfield station: Local: Every 20 minutes Mon-Fri, every 30 minutes Sat-Sun. Express: Every 30 minutes Mon-Sat, every hour Sun.
• Bus: Unō buses: 610: Cockfosters tube station; 615: Stanmore tube station; 614: Edgware & Queensbury tube stations; 644: Express version of 614; 797: Baker Street tube station, cheaper competitor with National Express. Unō is the University of Hertfordshire public bus operator. It replaced the Ennex bus service, which was run by National Express.

Get around

UNO Bus which are operated by the university (they are pink and purple) serve the area and local community.

See

• 🌍 Hatfield House, Park and Gardens, ☎ [phone]. Summer months only, opening from Easter. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays except Bank Holidays.. Built by the first Earl of Salisbury who was Chief Minister to King James I from 1607 to 1611. The house has an extensive collection of pictures, furnishings and historic armour. Queen Elizabeth 1st spent much of her childhood here and it was here that she learnt that she had become Queen. The Garden dates from the early 17th century. The West garden includes a scented garden, herb garden and knot garden.  

• University of Hertfordshire. 

Do

Buy

• The Hatfield Galleria. Over 80 shops, 15 restaurants/cafés, and a cinema. 
• 🌍 Hatfield Town Centre (On north side of Queensway in centre of Hatfield). Shop times vary; Asda open most days 24 hours. Is at the centre of Hatfield. Asda Superstore anchor of this area. Also, has Boots, Barclays Bank, Halifax Bank. On Wednesdays and Sundays Hatfield market at Market Place; this has been scaled down in recent years. Town Centre has approximately 50 shops. (updated Aug 2015)

Eat

• Bar turan. Indian tapas restaurant 
• Happy Valley. Chinese restaurant and fish bar 

Drink

• Town Inn. 
• Bar 12. 
• Mai Tai. a popular student hangout 

Sleep

• Mercure Hotel Hatfield, Roehyde Way, Hatfield AL10 9AF, ☎ [phone]. Modern Hotel close to the A1(M). Special 'Real Deal' from £100 per coupls for one night including three course dinner, bottle of house wine and full English breakfast. From £59 per room. 
• 🌍 Premier Inn, Lemsford Road, Hatfield AL10 0DA (At southeast corner where A10 and Comet Way meet), ☎ [phone]. Check-in: 2 PM, check-out: 12 noon. Has 40 rooms. Hotel new and of decent quality. Continental or full breakfast available for additional price at Brewers Fayre, adjacent to hotel. £56.00 and up; if booked locally £29.00 and up. (updated Aug 2015)

Go next

Interesting places nearby include Ayot St Lawrence, the former home of George Bernard Shaw, and Hertford, the county town of Hertfordshire.

Routes through Hatfield

Peterborough ← Welwyn Garden City ←

N  S

→ Borehamwood → London