Datchworth is a village and civil parish between the towns of Hertford, Stevenage and Welwyn Garden City in the county of Hertfordshire, England. Sited on the Roman road from St Albans to Puckeridge, the village has examples of Saxon clearings in several locations. Datchworth has a village green where there are two pubs (The Plough and The Tilbury) and a sports club. In the 2001 Census the population was 1,065, increasing to 1,524 at the 2011 Census.

Origins

The name Datchworth is thought to originate from a Saxon lord called Daecca (pronounced Datcher), who settled here around the year 700 AD. 'Worth' comes hig, which means enclosure.

History

The arrival of the Normans gave Datchworth a written record in the Domesday Book. This included an account of the occupants and land values in the 11th century.

Standing at the eastern side of Datchworth Green is the whipping post. Its last recorded use was on 27 July 1665 when two 'vagabonds' were publicly flogged. Stocks stood near the post too, but there is no trace of them now. The stocks are thought to have been removed in 1899, however, there are stocks located close to All Saints' Church.

During the Second World War the last enemy-action incident of any kind on British soil occurred at 09:00 on 29 March 1945 when a V-1 flying bomb struck a nearby field in Woolmer Green Another landed at Iwade in Kent, an hour later, after being hit by anti-aircraft fire.

The Datchworth Museum contains a collection of local artefacts. Located in a former smithy, the museum operates a limited opening schedule, being accessible from 2.00 p:m until 4.30 p:m on the third Sunday of every month. In 2022, the museum recorded a total of 30 visitors, making it the second least-visited tourist attraction in England.

Notable people

• Barry Norman — and his novelist wife Diana Narracott