New Forest

The New Forest is a mixture of woodland, open heath, grassland and bog and has recently become a National Park. Dating back to 1079 when William the Conqueror commandeered the land for deer hunting, Forest Law has been maintained by Verderers (judges), Agisters (stockmen) and commoners (land users) ever since.

The must visit historical sites of Beaulieu and Bucklers Hard are only two of the variety of picturesque places in the New Forest. Bucklers Hard is a preserved eighteenth century village on the banks of the River Beaulieu. It was here that the warships for Nelson's navy were built.

The 200 acre wooded gardens of Exbury have world famous collections of rhododendrons, azaleas and camellias and National Collections of Nyssa and Oxydendrum.

The "capital" of the New Forest is Lyndhurst, which houses the New Forest Museum. From here, travel to Lymington, a pretty village on the estuary with a marina and yacht haven.

There are many walks in the Forest and along the coastline. From Milford on Sea you can gaze across to the Isle of Wight or visit Henry VIII's Hurst Castle, just 1.5 miles away.

For more details on the many interesting places in the New Forest go to the New Forest and the New Forest Tourism websites.