England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Hatfield St Leonard

The Parish

The parish of Hatfield lies in northeastern Herefordshire, indeed it forms part of the border with neighbouring Worcestershire. Hatfield is a rather scattered village lying along a narrow lane which runs east/west through a sparsely populated area north of the A44 road which links Leominster & Bromyard. There is no distinct centre to Hatfield, it's merely a scatter of farms and cottages although there are concentrations non equates to any definition of a village. The area is a little ridge where the headwaters of both the River Humber, heading westwards, and the River Frome, heading southeast, start their journeys. The land use is almost totally pastoral grazing with sheep and cattle dominating in small enclosed fields with many copses. Hatfield did, for a time, achieve wider notice as a station on the Bromyard branch line from Leominster but this was a victim of Beeching's cuts. Hatfield sits at about 190 metres above sea level. The parish is a relatively small one for upland Britain (not uncommonly so in Herefordshire) with just over 1,500 acres supporting a tiny population of around 180 parishioners. Despite its small size Hatfield merits two mentions in Domesday book where the land was shared between William of Ecouis and the wonderfully named Hugh the Ass, together the parish supported 10 ploughs

The Church

St Leonard's church is sited at the western end of the main housing area in Hatfield parish adjacent to the main east/west running lane. St Leonard's church is rather ancient with possibly a pre-Conquest date for some of the fabric, especially the nave. The northern doorway is also Norman although the chancel is later - perhaps 14th century. Much else was modified in the usual Victorian restorations, although some work dates from a partial collapse in 1723. The weather boarded bell turret is also old although the exterior is a modern renewal. The church is protected from the land by a mid-height stone wall and access is through a set of wooden gates at the western end. The western end has many mature trees which restrict views in that direction but otherwise the small graveyard has good sight lines.