[4] The English Place-Names Society translates the name as "a corner of land where sheep are pastured".

[6] At this time, the entire manor of five hides, made up of arable land, meadows, woodland and pasture, was held by the Abbot of St Albans.

[3][5] The Domesday Book of 1086 shows that "Escepehale" was in the Hundred of Broadwater, and it lists 11 villagers, two cottagers and one slave in 1086, though the actual population is unsure as each individual listed may have represented a household, and the entry may not include the entire population.

[8] The church was confirmed to the monastery of St Alban by Pope Honorius III in 1218, and a vicarage was ordained and endowed.

[6] Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries, specifically that of St Albans Abbey in 1539, the manor of Shephall was granted to George Nodes in 1542 by King Henry VIII, together with a pension of five shillings.

[16] Also within the parish, close to the boundary with Aston in the south, was Broom Barns, containing about six houses and a farm.

[16] The new town was initially developed as six neighbourhoods, each with its own facilities including shops and schools.

[23] In September 1947, Shephall Manor was commandeered by the Stevenage Development Corporation, who leased it to the Inner London Education Authority.

Two estates, Leaves Spring and Loves Wood, were named after existing features of the landscape.

[16] Several parts of the original Shephall survived,[26] including the village green, church, Old Red Lion public house, and some cottages and other buildings, but they were cut off from their former surroundings by Broadhall Way.

[16] A neighbourhood shopping centre was built at The Hyde, 0.5 miles (0.80 km) east of the old village.

[20] Shephalbury Secondary Modern School closed in the 1980s and was annexed by the Stevenage College of Further Education.

The house was bought by the Coptic Orthodox Church and the grounds were opened to the public as one of Stevenage's district parks.

[30] The well canopy in the green, dating to the early 20th century, that covers a medieval well, was scheduled to be removed and not replaced by Stevenage Borough Council in 2012, but was saved after local residents' protests led to a public consultation.

The structure was repaired and is now listed on Hertfordshire County Council's Historic Environment Record.