Datchworth

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Datchworth
Hertfordshire
All Saints Church, Datchworth - geograph.org.uk - 370918.jpg
All Saints, Datchworth
Location
Grid reference: TL270197
Location: 51°51’42"N, 0°9’23"W
Data
Population: 1,065  (2001)
Post town: Knebworth
Postcode: SG3
Local Government
Council: East Hertfordshire
Parliamentary
constituency:
Stevenage

Datchworth is a village in Hertfordshire, east of Knebworth, between the towns of Hertford, Stevenage and Welwyn Garden City. It is blessed with a village green, two pubs (The Plough and The Tilbury) and a sports club.

Datchworth stands on the Roman road from St Albans to Puckeridge. The village has examples of Anglo-Saxon clearings in several locations.

The name Datchworth is thought to mean Dæcca's place (or enclosure) after a presumed local lord Dæcca (which would be pronounced Datcher), otherwise unknown to history.

However, Datchworth was certainly occupied well before the Coming of the English. There are two large Belgic sites, only one of which has been partly investigated. Much of the parish boundary still follows the old Belgic ditches.

The arrival of the Normans gave Datchworth a written record in the Domesday Book.

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.

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.[1]

Outside links

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about Datchworth)

References

  1. King, Benjamin; Timothy Kutta (2003). Impact: The History of Germany's V-Weapons in Second World War. Da Capo Press. p. 309. ISBN 0-306-81292-4.