Hall’s Green (4 miles N.E. from Stevenage) is on the hillside, 1 mile S.E. from Weston church. A little farther S. note the fine view over Cromer and Cottered, with windmill to the left.
Hammond Street is between Cheshunt Common and Flamstead End. The nearest Station is Cheshunt, G.E.R., 2½ miles S.E.
Hammond’s End, on the outskirts of Rothamstead Park, is in the centre of the pleasant varied scenery between the M.R. and the St. Albans-Dunstable road. The nearest station is Redbourn, 1¼ mile S.W.
Handside (Upper and Lower) is the name of two hamlets in Lemsford parish, both near Brocket Hall Park. Hatfield (about 3 miles S.) is the nearest station, G.N.R.
Hare Street.—There are two places in the county bearing this name: (1) a small hamlet partly in Ardeley and partly in Cottered parish; (2) a large village on the Cambridge Road, 2 miles E. from Buntingford. The village has several quaint old cottages, and is by no means unpicturesque; but it contains little of historic importance. It affords, however, a good centre from which to visit several old and interesting churches (described elsewhere in these pages); Layston, Wyddial, Anstey, and Great and Little Hormead being all within a short walk.
Harmer Green (½ mile N.E. from Welwyn Station) is a small hamlet N. from the Maran Valley.
Harpenden is well worth a visit and may be easily reached from St. Pancras (24 miles), or from King’s Cross by changing at Hatfield. Visitors wishing to inspect the church, or to ramble through the large village, beautifully situated at the N. end of Harpenden Common, should be careful not to choose the day of the annual races, the Friday before Epsom week. The church was rebuilt (except the tower) in 1862, in E. Dec. style; prior to 1859 the old structure had been a chapel-of-ease to Wheathampstead (3 miles E.). It probably dated from say 1140 (temp. Stephen) and was originally cruciform and late Norman. The first tower is believed to have been destroyed by fire about 1470, after which the present W. tower was built. Many alterations were made during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries; the original Norman clerestory, in particular, being superseded by one of Low Perp. Note (1) Norman font; (2) brass to William Cressye Esq. (d. 1558) and Grace (Johnson) his wife (d. 1571); (3) brass to William Annabull (d. 1456), and Isabella his wife. Chauncy quotes an inscription to one William Seabrooke (d. 1462) and Joanna his wife, which is of some interest from the fact that the name of Seabrooke is common to-day in this part of Herts; (4) E. window of stained Munich glass; (5) window in N. transept to the family of the late Sir J. B. Lawes of Rothamstead. Rothamstead (1 mile S.W.), formerly the seat of the above, is in a finely wooded park. Erected about 1470, it has been almost rebuilt at different times. From the grand entrance, under the clock tower, there is a fine view looking S. There is an annual Flower Show in the park. Harpenden Bury is 1 mile N.W. from Rothamstead, on the river Ver.
Hatching Green is a hamlet on Harpenden Common, 1 mile S.W. from the station, M.R.
HATFIELD may be visited by fast train from King’s Cross, G.N.R. (17 miles), the station being opposite the W. gates of the park. The older parts of the town lie on the western slope of a hill close to the railway; at the top stand the church and portions of the old palace, beyond which, in the park, stands the fine mansion of the Cecils. The town is of great antiquity; the Saxon Kings, who called it Heathfield (the Hetfelle of Domesday Book), owned the manor until it was given by Edgar to the monks of Ely. After Ely had been converted into a bishopric by Henry I., the bishops made Hatfield one of their several residences, which gave rise to its former name of Bishop’s Hatfield. Their palace became a royal home during the reign of Henry VIII., and was at one time occupied by his children Edward, Mary and Elizabeth. It was to this old palace that Elizabeth was brought from the Tower soon after her removal from Ashridge; whilst here she was in the custody of Sir Thomas Pope, who treated her with kindness not always shown even to royal prisoners. The story of her reception of the news that she was Queen, of her first Council, held here in the palace, and of her subsequent journey to London, has been too often narrated to need repetition. Immediately after her death James I. paid a visit to Theobalds Park, and had an interview with Sir Robert Cecil, a younger son of Lord Burleigh, whom he presently created first Earl of Salisbury. The exchange by the King of his manor of Hatfield for that of Theobalds has been mentioned in the Introduction ([Section X]). The King promised to build for Sir Robert a new house at Hatfield; the work was carried out on a magnificent scale, and was completed sometime in 1611. The new house stood a little E. from the old palace. To this house James paid an early visit; one of its most stately apartments is called “King James’s Room”.