Things to Do New Forest - Days Out New Forest
About the New Forest
The New Forest is the perfect location for a self-catering holiday. There is a wealth of things to do and see in the New Forest with fun filled days out at leading attractions such as The National Motor Museum, Exbury Gardens and Steam Railway, Longdown Activity Farm, Paultons Park and Peppa Pig World and Bucklers Hard.
Vast tracts of unspoilt woodland and heath are home to countless varieties of wildlife and native plants waiting to be discovered by ramblers, cyclists and pony trekkers. Internationally renowned for its free-roaming ponies, donkeys, cattle and other livestock, the New Forest was awarded National Park in 2005.
The New Forest´s atmosphere and traditions stretch back over 900 years. William the Conqueror set aside this incomparable countryside as his own private deer-hunting preserve and many of the unique customs of the area date back to this time. The shores and waters of the nearby Solent provide an exhilarating contrast to the calm of the Forest.
Organised deep sea fishing trips are available from both Lymington and Keyhaven and there is a regular car ferry from Lymington to Yarmouth on the nearby and fascinating Isle of Wight. The historic and bustling towns and cities of Bournemouth, Salisbury, Winchester, Southampton and Portsmouth are all within easy driving distance and there are many leisure attractions throughout the area.
The New Forest´s towns and villages such as Beaulieu, Lyndhurst, Lymington, Milford on Sea, Brockenhurst, Burley, New Milton and Ringwood have their own restful charm and make for perfect holidays in the New Forest. Explore delightful narrow streets and then relax in one of the many quant inns or tea houses found throughout the area.
Our holiday properties in the New Forest range from chocolate box thatched cottages with ponies grazing at the gate, to comfortable town houses with shops and restaurants immediately to hand. There is always something happening in the New Forest throughout the year, discover ‘What’s On’ before you visit.
A SELECTION OF NEW FOREST TOWNS & VILLAGES
ASHURST: Small village on edge of New Forest between Totton and Lyndhurst. At Ashurst Lodge, now a private house, are the remains of an Elizabethan industrial site where saltpetre was mined.
BARTON ON-SEA: Seaside village in the south-west of the New Forest District. Outstanding views across Christchurch Bay and The Solent to the Isle of Wight.
BEAULIEU: A charming village situated among the woods and hills on the Beaulieu River. Ruined 13th C. Abbey and Palace House are in the grounds of the Beaulieu Estate as is the National Motor Museum.
BOLDRE: This small village on the Lymington River is two miles north of Lymington. A delightful 13th C. church is situated amid narrow forest lanes.
BRAMSHAW: In the north of the District, surrounded by ancient woodlands, this small village has an interesting church which is a 'medley' of different architectural styles. Close by is Piper's Wait, highest point in the New Forest.
BROCKENHURST: In the heart of the New Forest this large village is set amid some of the loveliest forest land in this area. The Forest ponies and donkeys often visit the main street of Brockenhurst and graze on the village green. The village is close to some of the most popular Forest walks and cycle tracks. New Park, to the north of the village, is the site of the annual New Forest Show.
BURLEY: Attractive and well known village in a Forest setting with riding stable and wagon-rides. Outside the village miles of open heathland provide good walking and riding and a golf course. Smuggling and witches are part of the village's history.
CADNAM: A small village close to junction 1 of the M27 Cadnam is the gateway to the New Forest. Close by are the villages of Copythorne and Bartley.
FORDINGBRIDGE: The mediaeval seven-arched bridge over the River Avon is the best known view in Fordingbridge, a small town with a history dating back to the Middle Ages. The early English parish church has many magnificent features and several houses in the town date back to the Georgian era.
FRITHAM:A small village in the north of the forest with its famous Royal Oak Inn where smugglers are reputed to have gathered in the 1700s. To the north-west of the village is the beautiful Eyeworth Pond.
HYTHE: One of the main towns on the 'Waterside' with panoramic views of Southampton Water. The old part of Hythe has Georgian and Victorian buildings and a long Victorian Pier along which a narrow gauge railway takes passengers to the ferry for Southampton.
LYMINGTON: A lively yachting and sailing town at the mouth of the Lymington River. The lanes and streets around the quayside retain the flavour of a harbour town with Georgian and Victorian cottages, houses and shops. The attractive High Street which leads down to the Town Quay has a market every Saturday. The Isle of Wight car ferry operates from Lymington to Yarmouth all year.
LYNDHURST: In the heart of New Forest District surrounded by both heath and forest. Lyndhurst developed into the 'capital' of the New Forest in the 19th C. The 14th C. Verderers' Hall still stands in the Queen's House. The village has a good selection of shops and cafes and the New Forest Museum and Tourist Information Centre which is open all year.
MILFORD-ON-SEA: A peaceful village with easy access to the New Forest. The beach, mainly of shingle, is safe for swimming and has spectacular views of the Isle of Wight and the Needles.
MINSTEAD: With its traditional village green, Minstead is set deep in the Forest to the north west of Lyndhurst. The village church has an unusual 'triple-decker' pulpit and Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle is buried in the churchyard.
NEW MILTON: A spacious town close to Barton-on-Sea, New Milton has excellent shopping facilities and is a good base from which to explore the south of the New Forest District.
RINGWOOD:As well as being a good touring centre for the Forest and the Avon Valley, Ringwood is also an historic town - it was here that the Duke of Monmouth was captured after the Battle of Sedgemoor in 1685. Today the town's modern shops, historic inns and thatched cottages have blended to make Ringwood the New Forest's market town.
SWAY: On the very edge of the forest, Sway is a small rural village just north of Lymington. Captain Marryatt, author of 'Children of the New Forest', based much of the book on the countryside around Sway.
WOODGREEN: Woodgreen is in the north-west of the District and on the edge of the Forest. The local village hall contains delightful murals which depict local life and people.
WOODLANDS: Close to Ashurst, Woodlands is a secluded village which faces the New Forest boundary at Busketts Lawn Inclosure. Also nearby are Bartley and Netley Marsh, where a country fair and a steam rally respectively take place during the summer.
Resources: (link to external sites here)
Beaulieu National Motor Museum
Exbury Garden and Steam Railway
Paultons Park and Peppa Pig World
