A visitor's guide to the New Forest, Hampshire, UK
A visitor's guide to the New Forest, Hampshire
, UK
The New Forest national park is the largest unenclosed woodland, pasture, heath and forest in Southern England. It covers south west Hampshire and extends into Wiltshire and Dorset. It was created as a royal forest by William the Conqueror in around 1079 so that he could use it as his private hunting ground. The New Forest was first described as the Nova Foresta' in the Doomsday Book in 1086.
Local inhabitants of the forest at this time were forbidden to enclose their land so that the King could chase deer and pig throughout the forest without encumbrance. It was at this time that the peasants were granted common law rights to graze their animals throughout the forest which has continued to this day. One of the great tourist attractions about the forest is that you will see cattle, ponies, horses, donkeys, pigs and, if you are lucky, deer, wandering freely throughout the 65,000 acres of forest.
A number of families were forced to move away from their homes so that King William could enjoy the hunt. Some historians believe that William paid a high price for this act as two of his sons, Prince Richard and Rufus (King William II) both were killed in the forest. The last known King to exercise any royal hunting rights was James II.
Throughout the middles ages the forest was a major source of timber. After predominant use as a hunting ground, various Acts were passed by the Crown to ensure new enclosures were established to replace demolished woodlands and the Rolling Power of Enclosure was born. New Forest timber was used in the ship building industry and for the growth of settlements connecting the port to the towns. In fact the forest continued to be a major contributor to the armed forces as late as the Second World War, providing significant amounts of timber to the war effort from 26 sawmills found throughout the area.
The New Forest was designated a site of Specific Scientific Interest in 1971 and was granted special status as a New Forest Heritage Area in 1985. Proposed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999, it finally became a National Park in 2005.
There is much to see and do in the forest. For the wildlife enthusiast especially a walk in the forest will reveal all kinds of animals. The wandering ponies and donkeys will be first on the list, often trying to find out if you have a picnic. Throughout the forest wild deer roam freely. They are easy to view from platforms at Bolderwood, but you are just as likely to see them anywhere in the forest if you tread quietly. The forest is home to a number of species including Muntjac, Red, Fallow, Roe and Sika deer.
For those simply interested in nature, the New Forest provides a home to a fascinating array of fauna and flora. The forest woods are some of the finest examples of deciduous forest in Britain comprising mainly oak, beech and holly although a large variety of trees exist throughout the park. Bell-heather and bluebells, broom, gorse and primrose line many of the trails.
The New Forest is now the stronghold for a number of species of birds such as the curlew, lapwing, redshank, snipe, Dartford warbler, woodlark, stonechat and nightjar. With such an abundance of natural prey, the forest also hosts a number of predatory birds such as buzzards, kestrels and tawny owls.
The forest is easy to get to by rail from London (London Waterloo Poole service, approx. 1hr 30mins to Brockenhurst). Stations are located in Ashurst, Brockenhurst, Sway and Lymington (but are not all on the direct service). Other attractions in the vicinity include Beaulieu's Motor Museum, Paulton Park and the Isle of Wight.
The forest plays host to many visitors throughout the year. There are numerous hotels, bed and breakfasts, self catering cottages and camping and caravanning destinations in the New Forest. There are manor houses where you can indulge in luxurious surroundings and enjoy in-house spa facilities. There are intimate bed and breakfast establishments where the proprietor will tell you about the best places to visit and eat. All the while the natural beauty of the new forest awaits investigation.
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