Hatfield town centre has great shopping options including The Galleria outlet with its many shops, restaurants, and Odeon cinema. There are two local supermarkets in Hatfield; ASDA and Tesco. The town has a general market running twice a week as well as a farmers and craft market, which runs once a month. Welwyn Garden City and St Albans also have good shopping facilities and are only a short distance away by car.
There are many options for eating out in Hatfield including Italian, Turkish, Chinese, Polish, Indian, Tex-Mex and British. There are plenty of pubs and coffee shops to visit too.
For those who enjoy sport, there is plenty of options to choose from in the local area, including Hatfield Leisure Centre and Hertfordshire Sports Village, which is just a short walk from Hatfield. Ellenbrook Fields is a local nature reserve that is frequently used by walkers, runners and cyclists and it holds a parkrun every week.
Hatfield has an amazing history. The Jacobean estate, Hatfield House, was built in 1611, and it has 42 acres of gardens, which house the Old Palace. The Old Palace of Hatfield is on the estate, but pre-dates the house, as it was built in 1485. It later became Henry VIII’s, after the Reformation, and itis said that he was a frequent visitor to the palace. Elizabeth I spent her early years here and it is where, in 1558, she found out that she was to become queen. It is thought that she was sat under an oak tree in the grounds when she heard the news.
Hatfield House is visited not only for its history but because it is used as a filming location for countless films and TV shows. This started in the 1960s but has continued through to the present day. Tim Burton’s Batman, Sleepy Hollow and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory have all had scenes filmed here.
