On the border of Hertfordshire, nestled underneath Bishop’s Stortford and east of Sawbridgeworth, sits Hatfield Broad Oak and Hatfield Heath. Both ancient parishes with long-standing roots; nowadays these villages are known for their proliferation of grand-scale country homes and rolling pastoral landscapes. In particular, the Hatfield Forest nature reserve, a 996-acre stretch of greenland that almost perfectly conserves the likeness of its roots as a Royal Hunting Park from the times of the Normans - with some trees being over 1,000 years old!

Hatfield Heath was originally part of the wider fabric of Hatfield Broad Oak, which was once a thriving market town community that over history declined into a large village. The two villages separated in the late 19th century. However, their histories far pre-date this separation. Archaeological excavations in the mid 1960s revealed the presence of Iron Age materials in Portingbury Hills, Hatfield Forest, indicating ancient human occupation. Hatfield Broad Oak was also recorded after the Norman Conquest, in the 1086 Domesday Book, and was owned by William the Conquerer. The Hatfield Priory was established some time in 1135, and in 1136 the first reference to ‘broad oak’ was coined - probably named from a large oak tree that grew close to the locale.

The Hatfield Forest is a cornerstone to the culture of Hatfield Broad Oak and Hatfield Heath. Home to over 3,000 different types of wildlife and with trees older than 1,000 years old, this forest is a key part of the district. The landscape has been managed and cultivated since the Norman Conquest and was used as a Royal Hunting Forest. It is one of the only places in Britain where the medieval has totally survived. Including a rabbit warren dated to the medieval period!

Hatfield Broad Oak faced a steady decline over the 20th century, and is now considered a village rather than a market town. Both villages are located in the Uttlesford district of Essex, a rural district that is characterised largely by agricultural land. As such, developments in the Hatfield Broad Oak and Hatfield Heath locales have often been slow, owing as well to the significant affluence of Uttlesford - being ranked 8th least deprived locality in the whole of the UK. However, both Hatfield Broad Oak and Hatfield Heath have been designated as a Neighbourhood Plan Development Area by Uttlesford Council, meaning developments are on the way for Hatfield.