Hatfield College, Durham
Template:Short description Template:Good article Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox residential college
Hatfield College is one of the constituent colleges of Durham University in England. It occupies a city centre site above the River Wear on the World Heritage Site peninsula, lying adjacent to North Bailey and only a short distance from Durham Cathedral. Taking its name from a medieval Prince-Bishop of Durham, the college was founded in 1846 as Bishop Hatfield's Hall by David Melville, a former Oxford don.
Melville disliked the 'rich living' of patrician undergraduates at University College, and hoped to nurture a collegiate experience that would be affordable to those of limited means; and in which the students and staff were to be regarded as part of a single community. In line with his ambitions, the college pioneered the concept of catered residences for students, where all meals were taken in the hall, and occupants charged fixed prices for board and lodgings — this system became the norm for Durham colleges, and later on at Oxford and Cambridge, before spreading worldwide.
As the 20th century progressed, Hatfield was increasingly characterised by its irreverent atmosphere among undergraduates, reputation for academic indifference, sporting achievement — especially in rugby — and possessing a high intake of students from English public schools. College administration, on the other hand, preferred to highlight the willingness of students to get involved in a wide variety of university activities; and argued that 'Hatfield man', contrary to his reactionary image, had often been at the forefront of significant reform on campus.
College architecture is an eclectic blend of buildings from a variety of styles and periods. The sloping main courtyard contains an eighteenth-century dining hall, the restrained Jacobethan Melville Building (designed by Anthony Salvin), a Victorian Gothic chapel, and the 'inoffensive neo-Georgian' C Stairs. The trend for revivalist and traditional buildings was disposed of with the modern Jevons Building, located in the college's second courtyard, which interprets older forms in a more 'contemporary' manner.
After many decades as a single-sex institution, the first female undergraduates were formally admitted in Michaelmas term 1988.
History
Early years
The establishment of the college in 1846 as a furnished and catered residence with set fees was a revolutionary idea, but later became the general standard for university accommodation in the modern sense: an "arrangement where students would be provided with furnished rooms and meals for a flat fee".<ref name="Hatfield College">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Previously, university students were expected to furnish their rooms themselves.<ref name="Hatfield College" /> This concept came from the young founding master, David Melville, who believed his model would make a university education more affordable.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Essentially, the three principles were that rooms would be furnished and let out to students with shared servants, meals would be provided and eaten in the college hall, and college battels (bills) were set in advance.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> This system made Hatfield a more economical choice when compared to University College, whose students were generally wealthier, and ensured that student numbers at Hatfield built up steadily.<ref name="auto1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The success of Melville's model led to a second hall along the same lines, Bishop Cosin's Hall, opening in 1851,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and the model was introduced to the wider university after an endorsement from the Royal Commission of 1862.<ref name="auto1"/><ref name="roberts">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Efn
Although not intended as a theological college, for the first 50 years the majority of students tended towards theology, while senior staff members and the principal were in holy orders. Under William Sanday (1876–1883) student numbers rose considerably, prompting a desperate search for extra rooms. It was forced to rent 3 South Bailey (now part of St John's College) in 1879 to accommodate them.<ref name="auto2">Template:Cite book</ref> Though Hatfield was run on the most economical lines, student poverty was a frequent problem. Dr Joseph Fowler, who, apart from his roles as Chaplain and Senior Tutor in the college, acted as Bursar, allowed undergraduates to take on some debt and even loaned them money, often employing rather creative accounting practises in the process.<ref name=auto2 /> In 1880, a tennis court was installed for the first time, occupying roughly the same space as the current one.<ref name=auto2 /> In the 1890s, the college purchased Bailey House and the Rectory (despite its name, most previous occupants were laymen) to accommodate more students.<ref name="College History Summary">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> As the end of the century drew closer, the balance of undergraduate students rapidly shifted away from theology. In 1900, there were 49 arts students who had matriculated within the previous 3 years, and 20 in theology.<ref>Moyes, 1996, p. 93</ref> By 1904, just 9 theology undergraduates are recorded, compared to 57 in arts.<ref>Moyes, p. 93</ref>
Inter-war
The inter-war period saw a decline in college fortunes. In the first two decades of the 20th century, Hatfield had experienced a sharp fall in numbers. This was caused initially by the decision to isolate science courses at the campus in Newcastle, an increased tendency to train priests at specialised colleges, poor finances, and finally the outbreak of the First World War.<ref name="auto3">Template:Cite book</ref> For 15 years after 1897, total students in residence numbered above 100.<ref name="auto3"/> This had fallen to 69 in 1916, 2 in 1917, and to 3 in 1918.<ref name="auto3"/> After the war finished there was a temporary leap to more than 60 undergraduates, but by 1923 there were just 14 men on the college books.<ref name="auto3"/> In 1924, a new science department was established in Durham, and this, along with the active recruiting efforts of new Master Arthur Robinson (1923–1940), achieved gains in student numbers.<ref>Whitworth, p. 33</ref> Within five years of Robinson's appointment they had quintupled from the low of 1923.<ref>p. 33</ref>
However, the economic crisis of the 1920s created uncertainty. Hatfield had more students than University College yet lacked the facilities, especially kitchens, to accommodate them. University College, on the other hand, was comparatively undersubscribed. To address this, the two colleges effectively amalgamated under the guidance of Angus Macfarlane-Grieve, and all meals were taken together in the Great Hall of University College, while each college retained its own set of officers and clubs.<ref name="College History Summary" /> Unhappy with this arrangement, some Hatfielders expressed their separate identity in trivial ways: for example, using a different door to enter the Castle dining hall than the University College students, and, in contrast to the University College contingent – turning to face the High Table during grace.<ref>Whitworth, p. 34</ref>
The political situation in Europe impacted college activities: during one memorable rag week in 1936, Hatfield students staged a mock Nazi procession to the nearby Market Square, with participants dressing in jackboots, brown shirts, and fascist armbands.<ref name=Moyes49>Moyes, 1996, pp. 149–151</ref> One of them, Joe Crouch, a fluent German speaker, comically impersonated Adolf Hitler and delivered an impromptu speech to the assembled crowd.<ref name=Moyes49 /> In 1938, fears of an impending war resulted in the construction of an air raid shelter, with dons and servants digging trenches in the Master's garden (now Dunham Court).<ref name=Moyes49 /> Gas masks were issued to college residents.<ref name=Moyes49 /> Meanwhile, a recent decline in the number of freshers, and the death that year of John Hall How, the Master of University College, gave rise to rumours that Hatfield would be annexed to its older neighbour.<ref name=Moyes49 />
World War II
In October 1939, Hatfielders were barred from their own college when the university decided to use Hatfield as a temporary site for the new Neville's Cross College, an institution for training women teachers. Having spent over a decade taking meals in Castle, they would now be prevented from using Hatfield buildings altogether.<ref name=Moyes49 /> Without its own buildings and Master, and the issue of the ongoing war, Hatfield was in a poor position to recruit new students, an era later described as the "wilderness years" by college archivist Arthur Moyes.<ref>Moyes, p. 163</ref>
However, the college received an unexpected new lease of life when the Royal Air Force established short courses at the university for some of its cadets, and soon these cadets made up half of the Hatfield student body. This led the university to postpone plans to merge Hatfield with University College.<ref>Moyes, p. 166</ref> Plans were revived again in 1943, but met the strong opposition of Hatfield dons, especially Hedley Sparks.<ref name=Moyes73>Moyes, pp. 173–174</ref> In 1946, the centenary year of the college, members formed the Hatfield Association to both represent alumni and demonstrate to the university council that Hatfield was supported.<ref name=Moyes73 />
Post-war
The university finally decided that from October 1949, Hatfield would be reestablished as an independent college – with Vindolanda archaeologist Eric Birley (1949–1956) appointed to serve as the new Master.<ref>Moyes, p. 195</ref> The post-war period saw Hatfield once again faced with the familiar problem of squeezing in a larger student population, as the war had created a growing backlog. More buildings were constructed and refurbished.<ref name="buildings2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Moreover, accommodation was acquired away from the main site and the Senior Common Room was established. In 1962, it was decided that a brass plaque should be fixed to the college gates identifying the establishment as Hatfield College.<ref name=Whitworth46 /> Just 24 hours after installation, a group of students from a rival Bailey college were caught trying to remove the plaque as a sporting trophy.<ref>Whitworth, p. 47</ref> In 1963, the college received its first taste of student protest, when a "militant minority group of young gentlemen united under the banner of International Socialism".<ref name=Whitworth51>Whitworth, p. 51</ref> Around the same time students voted to boycott formal dinners after a row with Master Thomas Whitworth (1957–1979) over whether or not jeans counted as formal wear.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Reforms were subsequently introduced. Joint standing committees, composed equally of staff and students, were set up to "deliberate almost every conceivable topic" and the undergraduate Senior Man was allowed to take part in meetings of the college's governing body.<ref name=Whitworth51 /> By 1971, a "liberal and balanced" Governing Body had been achieved: consisting of 4 college tutors, 4 elected tutors, 4 delegates from the Junior Common Room, and a representative from the Hatfield Association alumni group.<ref name=Whitworth51 /> Writing in the same year, a satisfied Whitworth was able to boast of warding off the "mischievous opportunism" of student "exhibitionists".<ref>Whitworth, p.53</ref>
Modern
The leadership of James Barber (1980–1996) was a period of significant change. Student numbers rose, increasing to over 650 by the time Barber finished his tenure in office.<ref name="College History Summary" /> Living out became compulsory for students for at least part of their career, and many existing buildings were either rebuilt or refurbished to make room for students: The Rectory was remodeled, C & D Stairs were refurbished, the Main Hall was repaired, and Jevons' was redecorated.<ref name="College History Summary" /> A Middle Common Room for the postgraduate community was added in Kitchen Stairs. In 1981, the Formal Ball was renamed 'The Lion in Winter', which it has been called ever since.<ref name=Moyes324>Moyes, 1996, p. 324</ref> More comically, 'C Scales', a goldfish, was elected as a member of the JCR in 1982 and put forward as a potential Durham Student Union President.<ref name=Moyes324 /> In 1984, the JCR was sued by representatives of the band Mud after a student ruined four speakers by pouring beer into an amplifier during a performance at a college ball.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Hatfield also became co-educational, which at the time was only 'grudgingly accepted' by the college.<ref name="College History Summary" /> In 1985, talk of going mixed was stimulated by the low numbers of applicants selecting Hatfield as their preference, and a recent decline in academic standards – with the college finishing bottom of the results table the previous year.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Ignoring threats of hooliganism, the Senior Common Room decided in May of that year to push forward with plans to go mixed.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> In March 1987, a student referendum was held, with 79.2% voting for the college to remain men only.<ref name=Moyes306>Moyes, 1996, p.306</ref> The Senate decided that, despite the referendum result, the college would in fact go mixed – and the first female undergraduates arrived the following year.<ref name=Moyes306 /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The first female Senior Man held the post in 1992.<ref name="College History Summary" /> Her election win, by a single vote, prompted some students to declare a mock 'week of mourning' and walk around the college wearing black arm bands.<ref name=Moyes306 />
Buildings
Main Court
The oldest part of the college site is likely what is now the dining room, believed to date back to the 17th century.<ref name="Hatfield College" /> It originally formed part of a town house owned by a wealthy member of local society, and was converted in 1760 into a coaching inn, The Red Lion – a stopping point for coaches travelling between London and Edinburgh.<ref name=buildings2 /> During this time it also hosted concerts, probably featuring the work of composers like Charles Avison and John Garth.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 1799 the old coaching inn reverted to being a private residence.<ref name=buildings2 /> In 1845, it was sold to the university, and emerged as the first component of the newly founded Hatfield College the following year.<ref name="Hatfield College"/> Much more extensive when first occupied by Hatfield, since then "substantial parts of the building" have been replaced by newer structures.<ref name=buildings2 /> Apart from the dining room, what remains are spaces adjoining it that were once used by travellers, but are now filled by the Senior Common Room (SCR) – formerly a card room – the SCR dining room; and finally, on the higher floors, the 'D Stairs' student accommodation block, which comprises 13 twin rooms.<ref name=buildings2 /><ref name=buildings /> D Staircase has had a reputation for being haunted by a female spirit, recognisable by the aroma of a distinctive perfume.<ref>Whitworth, p. 44</ref>
At the west end of the dining room is Kitchen Block, which features the main kitchens as well as a small number of student rooms and offices on the higher floors.<ref name=buildings2 /> 'C Stairs', holding the C accommodation block, was officially opened in 1932 by Lord Halifax.<ref name=buildings2 /> It replaced an earlier section of the coaching inn used since the founding of the college.<ref name=buildings2 /> Designed by Anthony Salvin, A & B Stairs – also used for undergraduate housing – was completed in 1849 at a cost of £4,000, and was the first purpose-built part of the college.<ref name=buildings2 /> Containing A and B accommodation blocks, it was renamed and rededicated as the Melville Building in 2005 after a £1million refurbishment.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Author Josceline Dimbleby, the great-great-granddaughter of David Melville, was invited to perform the ceremony.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The Rectory was acquired in 1897, and is the administrative hub of the college, encompassing as it does the offices of the Master, the Vice-Master & Senior Tutor, the Assistant Senior Tutor, the Chaplain, the Senior Administrative Secretary, the Senior Tutor's Secretary, the Finance Officer and the Hatfield Trust/Association.<ref name="buildings">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Birley Room, used for social functions, can be found at the ground floor of the Rectory.<ref name=buildings /> Added to the college at the same time as the Rectory, Hatfield Cottage is in between the redundant church of St Mary-le-Bow (now the Durham Museum and Heritage Centre) and Gatehouse Block. It is where the Middle Common Room (MCR) is now located, having moved from its former space in Kitchen Block.<ref name=buildings />
Gatehouse Block is to the right of the entrance and houses the porters' lodge. It also has single and twin use student rooms.<ref name=buildings /> In 1961 the college had begun a project to replace the remnants of a much older gatehouse that was in poor condition. The new pseudo-Georgian replacement was completed by Easter 1962 for a total cost of £55,000.<ref name=Whitworth46>Whitworth, p. 46</ref> To provide an unbroken front to the North Bailey, decorative gates and railings were installed in the aftermath.<ref name=Whitworth46 />
Dunham Court
Named after alumnus Kingsley Dunham, Dunham Court is the second quadrangle of the college.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Accessed through an underpass by the chapel, it comprises two buildings, Jevons (Frank Jevons) and Pace (Edward Pace). An influx of extra students after the war stimulated demand for more accommodation and the garden of the old Jevon's House provided the available space. The new building, described by Pevsner as "friendly", with a "nice rhythm of windows towards the river", was finished in 1950 and named after former Vice-Master Edward Pace.<ref name=buildings2 />
The college commenced the largest building project in its history when it demolished old Jevon's House, a "property of advanced decrepitude" once occupied by the bare-knuckle boxer and politician John Gully before its purchase by the university.<ref>Whitworth, p. 49</ref><ref name="oldjevons">Template:Cite book</ref> As parts of the building had become dangerous by this point, the entire structure had to be removed.<ref name=oldjevons /> Construction of the new modernist style Jevons Building, which would complete the new Dunham Court, began in June 1966. It was officially unveiled in a ceremony in June 1968, attended by both Kingsley Dunham and Lord Lieutenant of Durham James Duff.<ref name=Whitworth50>Whitworth, p. 50</ref> It won a Civic Trust Award the following year.<ref name=Whitworth50 /> In 1972 a fishpond, since removed, was constructed in the centre of the court at the encouragement of senior college officers.<ref>Moyes, 2011, p. 55</ref>
Both buildings contain rooms and social spaces: the college bar and café is located in Jevons, while Pace has a TV lounge, a music room, a kitchen, two gyms, and the JCR Common Room.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Chapel
The college chapel was conceived in 1851 and built by 1854, funded by donations by alumni and topped up with a loan of £150 from the university.<ref name="College History Summary" /> Designed by Bishop Cosin's Hall chaplain, James Turner (also a trained architect), it contains head sculptures of William Van Mildert, the founder of the university, and Warden Thorp, the first Vice-Chancellor.<ref name="College History Summary" />
Commemorative oak panels mark the fallen of the First World War, with a book of remembrance naming those lost in the Second World War.<ref name="College History Summary" /> The chapel houses a Harrison & Harrison organ, which is used to accompany services and for recitals. In 2001, it was refurbished at the cost of £65,000.<ref name="College History Summary" />
When Hatfield was founded, attendance at cathedral services was compulsory; and once the chapel was constructed attendance at these services was obligatory for the next 80 years.<ref name="College History Summary" /> Since then, the chapel has been described as making up an "important but minority interest" within the college.<ref name="College History Summary" />
Hatfield offers eight choral scholarships annually, after an audition and interview process with the chaplain during first term.<ref name="scholarships">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The choir is led by a student choral director, supported by an organ scholar and deputy organ scholar.<ref name=scholarships /> It is mainly made up of students who support regular worship in the chapel, but also sing at other churches and cathedrals, with annual tours undertaken both at home and abroad.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> A further scholarship, the Matthew Fantom Organ Scholarship, is available to those students in the early stages of learning to play the organ and who would not be ready to apply for the regular organ scholarships.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Other buildings
Opposite the gatehouse on North Bailey is Bailey House, an accommodation block which provides 50 single rooms, plus a communal and kitchen area on the ground floor.<ref name=buildings /> Palmers Garth is located across the Kingsgate Bridge over the River Wear. It offers 8 twin and 41 single rooms for 57 students.<ref name=buildings2 /> The building was formerly used for administration by the university, and once hosted the careers service until it was handed over to Hatfield College in 1991.<ref name=buildings2 />
The postgraduate accommodation site is James Barber House, or JBH for short, a self-catered residence on nearby Church Street. Named after former Master James Barber, it was completed by Durham County Council as Palatine House in 1968, and originally a care home for the elderly before its purchase by the college in 2006.<ref name=buildings2 />
College traditions
Arms and motto
From its foundation, Hatfield Hall used as its arms the personal shield of Bishop Thomas Hatfield (Azure, a chevron or, between three lions rampant argent).<ref name='woodward'>Template:Cite book</ref> This was accompanied with the Latin motto "Vel Primus Vel Cum Primis", which means "Either First or With the First", and is derived from a description of Bishop Hatfield in a 14th century history of Durham:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Translated blockquote
This motto is now loosely interpreted by the college as "Be the Best you can Be".<ref name='crestandmotto'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In 1954, the college learned that these arms had not been granted to the college by the College of Arms, and its assumption of Bishop Hatfield's shield without a grant was inappropriate and illegal.<ref name="history">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name='crestandmotto' /> Consequently, it sought a grant of its own from the College of Arms,<ref name=crestandmotto /> and was granted new arms based on Hatfield's shield, but with an ermine bordure added to difference the college's arms from the bishop's. A crest was also added, of ostrich feathers, charged with a black chevron, issuing from a crown. The motto was also made an official part of the grant.<ref name=crestandmotto />
A drawing of the new shield, without the crest, was produced by student Rodney Lucas for use in the annual Hatfield Record, and was used on college stationery for many years.<ref name="rodneylucas">Moyes, 1996, p. 345</ref> In 1994, Lucas contacted the college with a new rendering of the college arms made on a computer, which was subsequently adopted.<ref name=rodneylucas /> In 2005, the university produced a new representation of the arms as part of a university rebrand.<ref name=crestandmotto />
Academic dress
Similar to most Bailey Colleges, the wearing of the undergraduate academic gown is required for formal events, including to the matriculation ceremony and all formal dinners held in college.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Formals
In Michaelmas term (first term), formal dinners are held twice each week, on Tuesday and Friday.<ref name="formals">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Epiphany term (second term) sees this reduced to mainly Fridays, while few formals are held during Easter term (third term) as students' attention is increasingly focused on exams and assignments.<ref name=formals /> A High table, consisting of senior staff, is also present during formal meals.<ref name=formals />
Unique to Hatfield is the tradition of 'spooning', in which students bang spoons on the edge of the table or on silverware for several minutes before the formal starts.<ref name="auto8">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The act immediately ceases when the High Table walks in.<ref name="auto8"/>
Grace
{{#invoke:Lang|lang}}
This can be translated as:
Blessed God, who feedest us from our youth, and providest food for all flesh, fill our hearts with joy and gladness, that we, having enough to satisfy us, may abound in every good work, through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom with thee and the Holy Spirit, be all honour and praise and power for all ages. Amen.
Since 1846 the grace has been read at all formal meals in college.<ref name="grace">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It is popular at alumni dinners, where an attempt to read the grace in English was badly received by guests.<ref name=grace />
Widely used in the fourth century and based on earlier Hebrew prayers, it was translated from the Greek and adopted by Oriel College, Oxford. Hatfield copied it practically verbatim; the college believes this was likely influenced by the Rev. Henry Jenkyns, a Fellow of Oriel before becoming Professor of Greek and Classical Literature at Durham.<ref name=grace /><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Hatfield Day
Hatfield Day is a day of festivities held every June to celebrate the end of exams. Traditions include 'Storming the Castle', in which Hatfield students wake up early to rush the courtyard of University College and sing college songs.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
By the 1980s Hatfield Day was 'not an occasion to which children or maiden aunts could be invited'.<ref name="moyes323">Moyes, 1996, p. 323</ref> Problems included offensive student pranks, vandalism, and an inability to contain events within the confines of the college.<ref name=moyes323 /> Arrests were not unknown.<ref name=moyes323 /> The Hatfield Day of 1984 required County Durham Fire Brigade to extinguish a fire set by a student.<ref name=moyes323 />
With the admission of female undergraduates, Hatfield Day became notably 'less coarse' as women members of JCR now 'exerted an influence' on behaviour.<ref>Moyes, p. 325</ref>
Songs
The college song was formerly Green Grow the Rushes, O. It was replaced in 1952 with a surprising selection: 'If I Should Plant a Tiny Seed of Love' by Ballard Macdonald. This 'mournful Edwardian ballad' came to be the 'rallying song of an increasingly macho Hatfield'.<ref>Moyes, p. 321</ref>
As of 2012, other long-established college songs included Two Little Boys, Jerusalem, and Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Student body
As of the 2017/18 academic year, Hatfield College has a population of 1,339 students.<ref name="auto"/> There are 1,007 full-time undergraduates and 3 part-time undergraduates.<ref name="auto"/> Postgraduate figures include 55 students on full-time postgraduate research programs and 111 studying for full-time postgraduate taught programs, plus a further 94 part-time postgraduate students (research and taught) as well as 69 distance learning students.<ref name="auto"/>
Common rooms
The Junior Common Room (JCR) is for undergraduates in the college. It annually elects an executive committee consisting of 10 members, including an impartial chair, who run the JCR in conjunction with college officers.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Unlike other colleges, Hatfield exclusively retains Senior Man as its title for the head of the JCR, having rejected a motion to move to "JCR President" in May 2014.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> A motion to allow the incumbent to choose between "Senior Man", "Senior Woman" or "Senior Student" was also defeated in January 2016.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The Middle Common Room (MCR) is the organisation for postgraduate students. Postgraduate accommodation is located at James Barber House.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> College officers, fellows and tutors are members of the Senior Common Room (SCR).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Image
Having shed its theological image by the Second World War, Hatfield developed a strong sporting reputation over the following decades.Template:Efn Johnathan Young, a 1963 matriculant, later recalled that his contemporaries 'were expected to excel in most sports and particularly rugby'.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>Template:Efn
A stereotype of Hatfield undergraduates as indifferent students who were largely from privileged backgrounds also emerged. This was a perception that college leadership were acutely aware of and keen to downplay.<ref name="collegeimage">Whitworth, 1971, pp. 84–85, 91</ref> Master Thomas Whitworth, in his 1971 college history, Yellow Sandstone and Mellow Brick; instead defined Hatfielders by ambition, and stressed their tendency to seek leadership positions on campus.<ref name=collegeimage />Template:Efn It was a viewpoint echoed years later by his successor, James Barber:
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"Go to a University concert, a play or a debate, watch a University sporting event, and Hatfield students will be prominent."<ref name = "collegeimage2">Moyes, 1996, p. 326</ref>{{#if:|
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Alumni have also praised a "work hard, play hard ethos" conducive to future success and highlighted a strong sense of identity and community.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Moyes, 2011, pp. 111, 120</ref> Nevertheless, student articles have criticised Hatfield for being 'rah', and suggested it is responsible for perpetuating negative views about the wider university.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Writing in 1996, college archivist Arthur Moyes admitted that modesty "is not a Hatfield characteristic".<ref name = "collegeimage2" />
Past data has shown it to be popular with applicants from private schools. For the 2015/2016 cycle, 65.8% of applicants were privately educated – against a university total of only 36.1%.<ref name="auto10">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> These figures also represent a significant reversal over time; during the 1960s the state school intake averaged 63%.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
For 2016 entry, under 2% of freshers were from low participation neighbourhoods.<ref>Winnard, 2021, p. 189</ref> To attract a wider range of candidates it has launched an outreach programme working with pupils in local state schools in Gateshead, Hartlepool, and Washington.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Admissions
For the 2015/2016 entry cycle 1,375 applicants selected the college as their preference.<ref name="auto9">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> This made it the 5th most popular overall, behind University College, Josephine Butler College, Collingwood College, and St Mary's College.<ref name="auto9"/> 336 accepted applicants ultimately enrolled.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Compared to most other colleges, Hatfield received a somewhat higher percentage of gap year applicants, with 7.8% of applicants in the 2015/2016 cycle choosing to defer, against a university average of 3.8%.<ref name="auto9"/>
In the application cycles from 2017 through 2020, Hatfield was ranked in the top 5 of colleges by number of first choice preferences, but dropped to 8th place for 2021 entry.<ref name="burman">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> That year it was the 'most polarizing college', having seen the largest increase in last-place rankings.<ref name=burman />
College officers and fellows
Master
The current Master is Ann MacLarnon, Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology at Durham University, who assumed the role in September 2017.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
List of past masters
- David Melville (1846–1851)<ref>Dimbleby, 2004, p. 33</ref>
- William Henderson (1851–1852)<ref name="sadgrove">Template:Cite journal</ref>
- Edward Bradby (Michaelmas Term 1852)<ref name=sadgrove />
- James Lonsdale (1853–1854)<ref name=sadgrove />
- John Pedder (1854–1859)<ref name="principals">Template:Cite journal</ref>
- James Barmby (1859–1876)<ref name=principals />
- William Sanday (1876–1883)<ref name=principals />
- Archibald Robertson (1883–1897)<ref name=principals />
- Frank Jevons (1896–1923)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Arthur Robinson (1923–1940)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Angus Macfarlane-Grieve (1940–1949)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Eric Birley (1949–1956)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Thomas Whitworth (1957–1979)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- James Barber (1980–1996)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Tim Burt (1996–2017)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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Fellows
Hatfield College Council awards honorary fellowships to alumni and people who have a close association with Hatfield. On receipt of the fellowship, the fellow automatically becomes an honorary member of the SCR and receives the same benefits. By 2012, honorary fellows numbered 24 in total, notably including former university chancellor Bill Bryson.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
As of 2018, other staff affiliated to the college include eight junior research fellows<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and 10 Senior Research Fellows.<ref name="senior">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Current senior fellows include, amongst others, the theologian Douglas Davies.<ref name=senior /> The college also occasionally hosts visiting academics, normally for one term, as part of the fellowship scheme offered by the university's Institute of Advanced Study.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Sports and societies
Hatfield College Boat Club
Hatfield College Boat Club (HCBC) is the boat club of Hatfield College at Durham University. The club was started in 1846, shortly after the founding of the college, making it one of the oldest student clubs in Durham.<ref name="auto11">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> There is a Novice Development programme for absolute beginners.<ref name="auto11"/> It also trains coxes and has a dedicated Coxes Captain.<ref name="auto11"/>
The club competes in head races and regattas across the country, including the Head of the River Race, Henley Royal Regatta, Durham Regatta, as well as inter-collegiate competitions run by Durham College Rowing.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The current college boathouse was completed in Epiphany term of 1881, with the previous structure having to be rebuilt and re-sited at the cost of £250 – club members believing it to be 'inconveniently small' and very exposed to flood damage.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Up until 2001 Hatfield shared its boat club with rowers from Trevelyan College. Tension over space, resulting from Hatfield's desire to purchase additional boats, saw the termination of this arrangement, with Trevelyan later electing to store its boats with the local owner of a private boathouse.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
In 2016, the boathouse was one of several to fall victim to racist graffiti and had a swastika and SS symbol splashed on the doors.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Major maintenance was carried out in 2019: the roof was reinforced and the doors sanded and repainted.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Notable former members of the club include Alice Freeman, Louisa Reeve, Angus Groom, and Simon Barr.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The boat club's alumni society, The White Lion Club, connects current students with alumni at key events throughout the year such as the Head of the River Race, Durham Regatta and the annual Christmas dinner.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
HCBC is a registered Boat Club through British Rowing, with Boat Code "HAT"<ref> {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} </ref> and is a member organisation of Durham College Rowing.<ref> {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} </ref>
Rugby
Hatfield College has become known for prowess in rugby in particular – so much so that Thomas Whitworth (Master, 1957–79), a known rugby enthusiast, was often accused of bias in the selection and treatment of rugby-playing students.<ref name="College History Summary" /> In intercollegiate rugby, Hatfield became the dominant club in the decades following the war, conceding the colleges cup just once in a 14-year period up to 1971.<ref>Whitworth, p. 85</ref> The Durham University team that triumphed in the 1969 University Athletic Union final against Newcastle University was made up mostly of Hatfield players.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Intercollegiate dominance continued into the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, with Hatfield eventually establishing a record of 30 cup wins in 32 years.<ref name="rugbynotes">Moyes, 1996, p. 320</ref> The 1995 cup final was noteworthy for being an all-Hatfield event, contested by the college's A and B teams.<ref name=rugbynotes /> Today, double protein portions for university rugby players are still offered in the college dining hall each meal-time.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Will Carling, Will Greenwood, and Marcus Rose are the most notable former undergraduates, all of whom made multiple appearances for England and participated in various editions of the Rugby World Cup.<ref name="College History Summary" />Template:Efn Richard Breakey and Jeremy Campbell-Lamerton were capped by Scotland, while Mark Griffin won several caps for the United States.<ref name="College History Summary" /> Josh Basham, Stuart Legg and Ben Woods have all played club rugby for Newcastle Falcons.<ref name="yearinreview">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="College History Summary" /> Another recent graduate, Fitz Harding, is signed to Bristol Bears.<ref name=yearinreview />
Other sports and societies
Hatfield has its own theatre group, the Lion Theatre Company.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It has SHAPED, which is a personal development program.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Alumni
Hatfield Trust
Established in 1987 to get around the financial limitations of being a maintained college, the Hatfield Trust is essentially the college endowment fund. It relies on contributions from alumni and supporters to fund student activities, bursaries, and one-off projects.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The value of the trust stood at £500,000 by 1998.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> As a way to encourage more frequent donations from former students, the 1846 Club enables donors to make pledges of £18.46 annually, quarterly, or monthly.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Societies
Hatfield alumni are active through organisations and events, such as the Hatfield Association, which now has a membership of more than 4,000 graduates.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Notable people
There are examples of notable alumni of Hatfield College in various fields, including government, academia, arts, and sport to name just a few.Template:Efn
The sporting alumni of Hatfield College may be the most famous, among them former England rugby union captain Will Carling, 2003 Rugby World Cup winner Will Greenwood, and former England cricket team captain Andrew Strauss.<ref name="sporting">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> More recently, rower Angus Groom was a silver medallist at the 2020 Summer Olympics.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Government figures to have attended Hatfield include Robert Buckland, a former Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor; Edward Timpson, former MP for Eddisbury and Minister of State for Children and Families; and Labour Party life peer Baron Carter of Coles.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> At least 5 alumni have held ambassadorial level posts in the Foreign Office, most notably Kim Darroch, previously British Ambassador to the United States.<ref>Template:Who's Who</ref>
Hatfielders in the military include Lord Dannatt, a former Chief of the General Staff, and one of his successors in the same role – General Mark Carleton-Smith.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The late Air Marshall Peter Walker, Rear Admiral Andrew Burns, the current Fleet Commander, and retired Rear Admiral Matt Parr were also Hatfield undergraduates, in addition to Major-General Peter Grant Peterkin, later appointed Serjeant at Arms in the House of Commons.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In the media, presenters Jeremy Vine, Mark Durden-Smith, Jonathan Gould, and Mark Pougatch; and David Shukman, Science Editor of BBC News (2012–2021), were all students at the college.<ref name="alumni">List of alumni Template:Webarchive, URL accessed 18 May 2009</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
In the arts world, travel writer Alexander Frater was a Hatfield student, as was the poet and memoirist Thomas Blackburn, fashion journalist Colin McDowell, singer-songwriter Jake Thackray, comedian Ed Gamble, and conductor Jonathan Darlington.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="alumni"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="balshaw">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Ecclesiastical alumni are numerous: with former Bishop of Derby Peter Dawes, former Bishop of Cyprus and the Gulf Clive Handford, and Morris Gelsthorpe, the first Bishop in the Sudan, making up just a small sample.<ref>Template:Who's Who</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
In academia, names include computer scientist Keith Clark, Professor of Computational Logic at Imperial College London (1987–2009); particle physicist Nigel Glover, a current professor at Durham; Rebecca Goss, Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of St Andrews; and Gordon Cameron, Professor of Land Economy at the University of Cambridge (1980–1990) and Master of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge (1988–1990).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Cbignore</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Moyes, 1996, p. 260</ref>
Eden Project founder Tim Smit, BP executive Richard Paniguian, Oliver Bonas founder Oliver Tress, and David Arkless, Chairman of End Human Trafficking Now, are all examples of alumni with a background in business.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Financial Times">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Gallery
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The chapel viewed from outside the college gates
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Kitchen Block
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A, B and C Stairs -
View of Dunham Court from the underpass
