"The origins of Parish Councils date back to beyond the Tudor period but in their modern form they date from the 1894 Local Government Act. A typical parish council will maintain their village hall, maintain the parish churchyard, will often provide allotments, help run the tidy village competition and will comment on planning applications affecting the parish to the district council." - from HertsDirect - see below - Parish Councils Explained.

Click the links below to find out about Datchworth's parish council - who your councilors are, what they are responsible for, when and where the Council meets, how you can influence the future of the village, the boundaries of the Parish, which council looks after which piece of "public" land in the village and so on.