A History of the New Forest in Hampshire, UK

A History of the New Forest in Hampshire, UK

The New Forest in Hampshire currently covers an area of approx. 145 square miles (37,500 hectares) of land, although its size has varied somewhat over the centuries. It was originally designated as a royal hunting area: one of 21 Royal Forests created in 1079 by King William I (the Conqueror) which were subject to strict rules known as Forest Law.

Local inhabitants were granted limited rights within the Forest, but Forest Law and the associated Verderers' Court imposed harsh penalties, such as cutting off the hands or blinding a person who was caught disturbing the animals or poaching, or who was guilty of damaging the habitat (known as the vert that is, grazing for the animals) within the forest boundaries. William's son and successor, William II (known as William Rufus) was shot with an arrow and killed in the Forest, most probably in retaliation for the harshness of the Forest Law imposed by the Norman kings.

Despite its name, the land was not all tree-covered, because approximately half of the New Forest consists of open heath, bog and grass land. It is grazed by various animals, of which the best known are the New Forest ponies, whose presence is permitted under the Rights of Common concessions gained from the monarch for occupants of the land. Other Common Rights included turbary (cutting turf for fuel), estover (cutting wood for fuel), marl (digging clay for building or fertilising the land), and mast (the right to release pigs to roam and feed in the Forest.) Common Rights are connected to the land occupied rather than the occupier, although some are no longer exercised; much of the New Forest is still owned by the Crown.

In addition to the ponies, cattle, sheep and donkeys may be pastured in the Forest, whilst people who inhabit a property built before 1850 are permitted to gather loose wood for their hearths, so long as they can carry it back to their home without using a vehicle to do so. Today the Verderers' Court remains, but its priority now is to defend the rights of Commoners within the Forest boundary and to protect the Forest from unsympathetic or damaging development.

Following the decrease in Royal hunting, from the seventeenth century the wood grown in the New Forest was mainly used for ship-building, and as the need for naval vessels grew so the demand for good timber increased. To ensure a plentiful supply, a management plan using plantations was introduced this allowed an area of trees to grow together and be felled when they reached a certain size. Today timber production is overseen by the Forestry Commission on behalf of the Crown.

The need to produce timber, the Common Rights of local people, and the rights of the monarch gives rise to a delicate balancing act between all concerned, as although the Forest is no longer used for Royal hunting, it is still an important habitat in need of protection which was given National Park status in 2005.

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