Discover more at Hatfield Forest
Find out when Hatfield Forest is open, how to get here, things to see and do and more.
The Forest Café offers a tempting selection of light bites, snacks and treats as well as hot and cold drinks. A range of seasonal forest produce is also available for you to buy from the Estate Office. We no longer have a conventional shop.
The Forest Café is right in the centre of Hatfield Forest, beside the lake, and has scenic views of the Georgian pleasure ground. It serves sandwiches, bacon rolls, sausage rolls, pasties, jacket potatoes and one pots alongside cakes, treats and ice cream, as well as a range of hot and cold drinks.
There are plenty of picnic tables on the grassy areas around the cafe and, for showery weather, a small undercover seating area in the Fishermen’s Shelter next to the Shell House.
We also operate a Snack Hub at busy times. This is next to the cafe serving counter and provides a range of cold drinks, cold snacks and ice cream.
Most of the food and drink served is prepared on site in our kitchen, using a wide range of ingredients. As a result, we can’t guarantee that any of our food and drink products are completely allergen free.
If you have an allergy or intolerance and would like ingredient information about the food and drink served, please ask the staff, who will be happy to help.
Visited before? We sometimes change our recipes to improve quality and flavour, including the ingredients. When you visit, please speak to one of our team to check the current allergen information for your favourite dish.
Every cuppa or tasty treat you buy helps us to continue looking after places for everyone to enjoy.
There’s nothing like the warmth of a roaring log fire on a chilly winter evening, and logs and kindling are available to buy at Hatfield Forest's Estate Office.
They are produced from hardwood trees harvested from the Forest as a by-product of coppicing and wood pasture restoration work. The cut wood is brought back to the yard and left stacked to season naturally over two years.
All logs contain less than 20% moisture and so meet current Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) firewood standards, burn cleanly and are environmentally sound.
Firewood is available for purchase and can be ordered through Estate Office on 01279 870678.
Our fully sustainable, responsible and ethical deer management allows us to provide premium quality wild venison. This is available fresh, when in season (November to April) or frozen, for most of the year. There’s a good range of joints and steaks and diced meat for casseroles, as well as burgers and sausages – perfect for barbecues. Buy from the Estate Office when the sign’s out, or call the Estate Offfice (tel: 01279 870678) if you have any queries or wish to place an order.
In 2015 and 2019 Hatfield Forest were winners of the National Trust Fine Farm Produce Awards.
It is through your purchases and support that we are able to continue to care for nature, beauty and history for everyone, for ever.
Find out when Hatfield Forest is open, how to get here, things to see and do and more.
Discover some of the best cafés, restaurants and tea-rooms located at National Trust places across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Pick up a book from a second-hand bookshop to keep or share. Every purchase will raise funds for conservation projects at the places in our care.
Looking for the perfect gift or perhaps you're in need of some retail therapy? You can browse our full range via our online shop.
Discover a range of outdoor activities at Hatfield Forest in Essex. From short to long walks, running routes, horse riding and fishing, there's something for everyone.
Visit a royal medieval hunting ground with mighty ancient oaks, fallow deer and wildlife aplenty. Enjoy a walk followed by a treat from the Forest Café in the beautiful surroundings of the Georgian lake and Shell House.
Hatfield Forest is a two pawprint rated place. It's a perfect place for walking your dog, with 1,000 acres of woodland and open grassland to explore, trees to sniff and grass to roll around in. Professional dog walkers will need a National Trust license to walk a maximum of 4 dogs, up to three times a day.