Background
Hatfield dates back to at least Saxon times, and is the location of Hatfield House, the seat of the Cecil family.
With the arrival of the railways, the Newtown area was built as Hatfield expanded to the west. In 1934, De Havillands
built an aircraft factory here, resulting in further rapid expansion of the town. Birchwood, to the north of the Newtown
area was built. As Hatfield moved into its heyday, further expansion occurred, and South Hatfield was developed in the
1950s and 60s. De Havillands later became Hawker Siddeley and finally British Aerospace.
The closure of British Aerospace in 1992 and the difficulties surrounding the Galleria Shopping Centre saw Hatfield go
into serious economic decline. In 2003, the new University of Hertfordshire brought all but one of its scattered campuses
together, basing itself in Hatfield, and expanding onto the old airfield site. Hatfield now has a population which exceeds
30,000, more than half of whom live within the St John’s area.
Legal Aspects
St John’s is a part of the Church of England, and with the Diocese of St Albans. It is a District within
the Bishop’s Hatfield Parish, part of the Bishop’s Hatfield Team, and is in the Welwyn-Hatfield Deanery.
The Patronage is now held by the Bishop’s Hatfield Patronage Board. The District population is in excess of 15,000,
but our Electoral Roll is in the mid-50s.
Buildings
A building in Roe Green Lane (now College Lane) had been used as a Mission Hall since 1889. With the growth of South
Hatfield, an extension was built and dedicated in 1953 in the name of St John. Two years later, St John’s Church moved
temporarily to the Cavendish Hall. Locally, funds were raised for the construction of a new church on the top of the hill
in South Hatfield, on land given by the Salisbury family. A parsonage house was built on the site, and on 14th June, 1958,
the foundation stone for the new modern church was laid by Princess Alexandra of Kent. The building was a unique design by
the architect, Peter Bosanquet, and was consecrated on 26th March, 1960. The design is an A-frame, open, west-facing,
structure with fixed pews and a gallery, with seating comfortably for 300+ people. An adjacent hall was built in 1964,
and serves as a Youth and Community Centre.
Churchmanship
St John’s has recently moved to a central position within the scales of churchmanship. Hatfield itself has a long history
of liberalism, but recent pressures and developments have seen the Vicar and St John’s change. The change has not been
welcomed by all within the District or Parish, but the subsequent growth has largely been well received. Preaching is
now an integral part of most services.
