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The New Forest is Britain’s smallest national park but is big on nature, charm and things to doand is popular for holidays year-round. Peter Ellegard goes down to the woods and finds lotsof surprises

on your doorstep n new forest

If ever there was a misnomer for a place it surelymust be the New Forest. One of Britain’s mostancient surviving landscapes, it was so namedwhen William the Conqueror created a royalhunting preserve there in 1079 to hunt wild deerand boar.

Since 2005, the New Forest has been a national park,Britain’s smallest at just 218 square miles. Yet, despiteits name, only one-third of it is woodland, while morethan a quarter of it is heathland and grassland – makingit Europe’s largest remaining area of lowland heath.

The New Forest is, in fact, a unique landscape thatcomprises woodland, heath, grassland, glades, bogs,rivers and streams, coastal saltmarshes and farmland, aswell as picturesque villages, bustling towns and populartourist attractions.

Surprisingly, with a population of almost 35,000, theNew Forest – or, simply, the Forest as the locals call it –is the most densely-populated national park in the UK.Each year, that is swelled by more than 13 million visi-tors, who come for its beautiful, natural environment,the variety of outdoor activities they can participate in,its historic and cultural heritage, and its wealth of floraand wildlife.

The Forest is home to rare species including Britain’sonly native cicada, mole crickets, several species ofcarnivorous sundew plants and heathland birds such asthe Dartford Warbler. Other Forest inhabitants includeotters, polecats and several deer species, among themfallow deer, which can be seen at close quarters from aviewing platform at Bolderwood deer sanctuary.

Not all the wildlife is wild. The iconic New Forest

Heart of oak

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on your doorstep n new forest

ponies, which roam freely throughout the national parkand can often be found stopping traffic in the main streetsof its communities, are actually all owned by commonerswho turn them out in the park for grazing. There are 4,000of them and the distinctive, closely-cropped “lawn” areasof the New Forest are the result of that grazing.

Cattle and donkeys also roam freely, as do pigs inautumn. Commoners are allowed to let their pigs loosefor a couple of months to eat the acorns that are poison-ous to the ponies and cattle, along with crab apples andbeech mast, in a centuries-old practice called pannage.There are up to 600 of them these days, although that isjust one-tenth of the numbers that once grazed there.

The Forest is a haven for horse riders, cyclists andramblers. There’s a network of over 100 miles ofcycle routes along tracks, old railway lines andminor roads, with lengths ranging from threeto 21 miles, some of them taking invillages with tea rooms or pubs for arefreshing pit stop. If you don’t haveyour own bike, you can rent modelsincluding electric bikes from anumber of cycle hire shops.

guided walksHorse riders are not restricted tomarked routes, a key attraction ofriding in the Forest. There are manystables where you can take a foresthack or book a riding lesson. Meanwhile,walkers have 143 miles of tracks to exploreapart from the open heath and grasslandareas, and guided walks with experts can helpunlock secrets about its nature and history.

park lifeMuch of how the New Forest looks today isdue to its enduring traditions. Commoning has been a way of life for

centuries. Commoners occupy land orproperties with rights of common attached,allowing them to graze animals in the Forest. Over 300 still exercise the right and graze

ponies, cattle, donkeys and pigs. Some alsoexercise the right to collect firewood, knownas Common of Fuelwood, or Estovers.Verderers are similar to judges and sit in

the Verderers’ Court, which meets 10 timesa year. They regulate commoning.Agisters are like police. They are appointed

by the Verderers to oversee the managementand welfare of commoners’ stock and dealwith road accidents involving the animals.In late summer and autumn, Agisters hold

drifts, or round-ups, to count ponies andcattle and treat any health problems as wellas brand foals and cut mares’ tails to showgrazing fees have been paid.

The towns and villages, both within and just outsidethe national park, are worth spending time in to browseshops and markets, visit pubs and restaurants and experi-ence the atmosphere that makes the Forest so special.

Lyndhurst has been known as the capital of the NewForest since Norman times and it makes a great startingpoint to learn about it. The New Forest Centre(www.newforestcentre.org.uk) has a fascinating inter-active museum which brings the Forest’s history, traditionsand nature to life as well as an exhibition gallery, visitorinformation centre, reference library and gift shop.

The main focal point in the town is the tall tower of thepre-Raphaelite church of St Michael and All Angels.Former Lyndhurst resident Alice Liddell, laterHargreaves, was the inspiration for Lewis Carroll’sAlice

in Wonderland and is buried in the graveyard. Amongnearby attractions are Longdown Activity Farm

(www.longdownfarm.co.uk), with hands-onfarmyard activities for the whole family, and theNew Forest Wildlife Park (www.newforestwildlifepark.co.uk),which has a Tropical Butterfly House aswell as resident animals including otters,Scottish Wildcats and lynx.

Brockenhurst has a mainline railwaystation and, with some of the Forest’s pret-tiest scenery in the area, is the startingpoint for many of the walks and cycle trails.It makes a good base for a Forest stay, with

hotels and B&Bs in the village and nearby. There is a ford, known locally as the Water-

splash, a pretty green, where you can often seeponies and donkeys grazing, picture-postcard build-

ings and several pubs. One is called The Snakecatcher

“The Forestis a havenfor horseriders,cyclists andramblers”

n New Forest ponies grazing on a “lawn”

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(www.thesnakecatcher.co.uk) after legendary localcharacter Harry “Brusher” Mills, who caught snakes tosell to visitors, zoos and research centres and who is saidto have caught 30,000 adders and grass snakes in hislifetime. He used to drink at the pub, then called theRailway Inn, and died in 1905 just outside after having atipple there. It serves food, but snake is not on the menu.

witchesWhitefield Moor, not far from Brockenhurst, is a goodplace for picnics and relaxing, sharing the grassy lawnwith grazing ponies and cattle. Burley is the Forest’s most picturesque village and is

full of timeless charm with its thatched cottages. It alsoleaves visitors spellbound. Sybil Leek, a self-styledwhite witch, lived in the village in the 1950s. She movedto America, where she died in 1982, but the Coven ofWitches (www.covenofwitches.co.uk) shop she estab-lished in Burley is still going strong and sells all thingsmagical, mystical and New Age.Beyond Burley, near Picket Post, is a car park with an

elevated viewpoint giving glorious sunset views andpaths to amble along through the heathland. Ringwood, on the western edge of the national park,

has been the Forest’s main market town for centuries andhas a mix of modern shops, thatched cottages and oldinns plus a Saxon church and an old, arched stone bridgeover the River Avon. It is the home of the RingwoodBrewery (www.ringwoodbrewery.co.uk), which offersweekend brewery tours with tastings.Nearby Moors Valley Country Park (www.moors-

valley.co.uk), in Ringwood Forest, has a woodland PlayTrail and Go Ape Tree Top Adventure with zip wires,Tarzan swings and canopy rope walks.Bordering the Forest’s southern boundary is delight-

ful Lymington, where the New Forest National ParkAuthority is headquartered. The rich past of this historicport town is evident in the pretty cobbled streets andgrand Georgian buildings lining its High Street. Go thereon a Saturday morning for the wonderful weekly market,with stalls lining either side and stretching down towardsthe quay from which you can buy crafts and localproduce; look out for the New Forest Marque(www.newforestproduce.co.uk), sold there and inother Forest markets and shops, that shows it is local.Savvy shoppers might also want to browse the char-

ity shops that dot the high Street. This area isfashionable with the country set, and you find a betterclass of bargain in their unwanted discards, as Idiscovered on a recent visit. I was staying in a poshNew Forest hotel for the weekend and had stupidlyforgotten to take a jacket for dinner. In one charityshop, I found exactly what I was looking for – a brandnew, unworn Armani sports jacket that not only fittedbut was a steal at £20!You can take a boat trip around the Solent from the

quay, and regular ferry services run to the Isle of Wight,just across the water. You can also take a walk along thenearby nature reserve and visit Henry VIII’s Hurst Castlefortress (www.hurstcastle.co.uk). Seaside townsMilford and Barton are just beyond.

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on your doorstep n new forest

did you know?l There are over 600 listed buildingsin the New Forest, from BeaulieuPalace House to cob and timber-frame cottages.

l The oldest tree is a yew atBrockenhurst Church, believed to be1,000 years old. The tallest is a 178-feet-high Wellingtonia (giant sequoia)on the Rhinefield Drive.

l The New Forest has 75% of north-western Europe’s valley mires (bogs)– 90 out of the 120.

l William the Conqueror’s son, KingWilliam II, was killed while outhunting when a stray arrow shot at astag glanced off a tree. The RufusStone monument marks the site.

l Don’t feed the ponies; it can landyou a £200 fine. They look cute but

can be aggressive and bite or kick.l The three-day New Forest andHampshire County Show(www.newforestshow.co.uk) inBrockenhurst is the largest of manyevents in the New Forest calendar.This year’s is from July 24-26.

n New Forest Show

n A pony grazing in the eveninglight at Crockford Clump

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mighty oaksThe park’s southern flank encompasses 26 miles ofscenic coastline, broken by the Beaulieu River. On itsbanks lies Buckler’s Hard (www.bucklershard.co.uk),an important 18th century shipbuilding village whereseveral ships for Nelson’s fleet at Trafalgar were built.

Part of the Beaulieu Estate, the village is nowpreserved as a maritime museum with living historydepictions in summer. The Master Builder’s Hotel(www.themasterbuilders.co.uk), in the building at theend of the grassy street, was the former mastershipbuilder’s house.

New Forest oaks were said to be the finest in the landfor building the Royal Navy’s vessels. Many were felledand a Parliamentary Act in 1808 ordered their replanting.The most famous surviving ancient oak is the pollarded(traditionally-pruned) Knightwood Oak, near Lyndhurst,thought to have been planted before 1600.

Close to Buckler’s Hard is Beaulieu(www.beaulieu.co.uk), where you can visit historicBeaulieu Abbey and Beaulieu Palace House, home to theMontagu family since 1538. Its popular gardens arelinked by monorail to the adjacent National MotorMuseum, where exhibits document motoring on Britain’sroads. Its Bond in Motion exhibition, which runsthroughout 2012, celebrates 50 years of Bond movieswith 50 vehicles from the films.

Across the Beaulieu River are the famed ExburyGardens (www.exbury.co.uk), created in the 1920s andspanning 200 aces of horticultural splendour as well as anarrow-gauge steam railway. Nearby Lepe Country Park(www.hants.gov.uk/lepe) has pine-fringed cliffs, abeach and preserved D-Day remains.

Hythe is the birthplace of the hovercraft. Jump on a ferryto Southampton (www.hytheferry.co.uk) from Hythe’sVictorian pier after riding the world’s oldest pier train. Onseveral days a week, you can watch flour being milled atrestored Eling Tide Mill (www.elingexperience.co.uk),the UK’s only tidal water mill. Times are governed by tides.

Fordingbridge is the northern gateway to the Forestand is noted for its Medieval stone bridge over the Avonand its excellent, free museum. Rockbourne RomanVilla, just outside town, is well worth a visit.

Also a must visit if you have children in tow isPaultons Family Theme Park(www.paultonspark.co.uk), which has more than 60rides and attractions and is home to Peppa Pig World.

Or you could simply head off on one of the manypaths to immerse yourself in the New Forest’s gloriousnature. You’ll find it a walk in the park.

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new forest facts

getting thereBy car, take the M27 and exit at Junction 1,signposted Cadnam. South West Trains(www.southwesttrains.co.uk)provide access to stations in the NewForest from London’s Waterloo, whileCross Country trains(www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk)runs services from Reading and theMidlands.

getting aroundThe New Forest is served by a public bus network. The New ForestTour (www.thenewforesttour.info) operates two hourly, circularroutes from Lyndhurst in open-top buses from June 30-September 16.Hop on and hop off where you like or switch between tours, on thesame ticket. Up to four bikes are carried free. Adult fares range from£10 for one day to £20 for five days. Parking is largely restricted to carparks in towns and villages. Buy a £20 short-stay clock online from NewForest District Council (www.newforest.gov.uk).Valid for a year, itallows parking for up to three hours at a time.

accommodationThe New Forest has everything from campsites and holiday parks toB&Bs, self-catering, pubs and luxury hotels. For a detailed list, seewww.thenewforest.co.uk/accommodation. Options includeHoburne Holidays' park (www.hoburne.com), B&B Cottage Lodge(www.cottagelodge.co.uk), Little Paddock self-catering lodges(www.little-paddock.com), boutique hotel Stanwell House(www.stanwellhouse.com) and luxury hotels Rhinefield House Hotel(www.handpicked.co.uk), New Manor Park Hotel & Spa(www.newparkmanorhotel.co.uk), Limewood(www.limewood.co.uk), Careys Manor (www.careysmanor.com),

Chewton Glen (www.chewtonglen.com) andThe Pig (www.thepighotel.co.uk).

more informationNew Forest Tourism Association:www.thenewforest.co.ukNew Forest National Park:www.newforestnpa.gov.ukNew Forest District Council:

www.newforest.gov.uk

n Buckler's Hard

n Historyat Beaulieu

n Exploring theNew Forest

n Paultons Park ride

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