Hatfield Forest contains a number of buildings and sites of historic interest, including Forest Lodge, Warren Cottage and the Warren, the Shell House, the Fishermans Shelter, the Decoy Lake, Portingbury Hills and the Doodle Oak.
Have you wondered about the history behind Forest Lodge, the attractive half timber building at the edge of the main plain?
Warren Cottage is an attractive brick building located just off the main plain.
The Shell House was built in the mid 18th century, to provide a shelter at the edge of the newly created lake
The Fisherman's Shelter has a surprisingly interesting pedigree.
This neglected piece of water is the remaining legacy of a plan provided by Lancelot Capabilty Brown in 1757 to modify the original lake.
If you look carefully in the area just beyond the main car park , you can see the remains of a medieval rabbit warren.
Portingbury Hills are shown on the Ordnance Survey map in the middle of Beggarshall Coppice, but what are they? Certainly not hills!
The Doodle Oak was one of the largest oak trees, not just in the Forest, but also in the country, and over 900 years old when it died.
