Hatfield Forest
Hatfield Forest in Essex is one of the last surviving examples of a medieval royal hunting forest in England, a place where the ancient woodland management practice of coppicing and pollarding has continued for centuries. Great spreading pollarded hornbeams, some of them many hundreds of years old, give the forest a magical, slightly eerie quality unlike almost anywhere else in the country. A tranquil lake sits at its heart, and the sense of living history here is extraordinary.
- Ancient royal hunting forest
- Centuries-old pollarded hornbeams
- Living medieval woodland management
Best for nature lovers, walkers, and anyone fascinated by the deep history written into England's ancient trees.
Things to see at Hatfield Forest
Tick these off when you visit — open the place in Manorhop to save your progress.
- Ancient Pollarded Hornbeams
- The Shell House
- Hatfield Forest Lake
- Roaming Fallow Deer
- Portingbury Iron Age Earthworks