Hatfield House (Herts)

“Hatfield House in Hertfordshire, just 21 miles north of London, is a fine Jacobean House and Garden in a spectacular countryside setting.” Under ‘Community’ their website says “We want to ensure Hatfield Park and the community it serves continues to grow as a thriving location with a sustainable local economy.” That is entirely laudable. What is less laudable in our opinion is that Hatfield hosts a local hunt. As the North London Hunt Sabs put it in March 2024, “Hatfield House played host to the closing meet of the Cambridgeshire Hunt with Enfield Chace…The meet was monitored by Hertfordshire Police, North London Hunt Saboteurs and East Northants Hunt Saboteurs, who saw the Hunt send hounds into woodland and hedgerows. Hatfield House supported the Hunt…through deployment of their own security…with their own guard dogs.” The controversy reached the local media where a hash was made of defending the hunt, with the Welwyn Hatfield Times writing “In a statement, a spokesperson for Hatfield House said that the event was “entirely legal”, as drag or trail hunting were taking place.” Hatfield themselves were quoted disingenuously saying “Hatfield Park has always supported the rural economy and country sports operating within the law and realms of good practice.”