Old Hatfield
Human settlement in England / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Old Hatfield, sometimes called Bishops Hatfield, is a historic village in Hertfordshire, England. It is in the town of Hatfield.
Old Hatfield | |
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Horse And Groom public house on Park Street, Old Hatfield | |
Location within Hertfordshire | |
OS grid reference | TL2308 |
Civil parish | |
District | |
Shire county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | Hatfield |
Postcode district | AL9 |
Police | Hertfordshire |
Fire | Hertfordshire |
Ambulance | East of England |
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It grew up on the Great North Road, one day's journey from London by horse or coach and once had many coaching inns. It was a convenient place for the Bishops of Ely to have a lodging, giving access to both the cathedral in Ely to the north and the capital to the south. A village grew up adjacent to the estate of Bishops palace. The parish church of St Etheldreda's Church, Hatfield was named by the Bishops after their patron saint Æthelthryth.[1][2][3]
A market was once held in Fore Street.
When Hatfield was developed as a new town after World War Two, Old Hatfield was deliberately left unspoilt by development and through traffic and so retains an historic feel.