Heavenly honeymoons don’t always need a passport. If you’re looking to skip airport queues and opt for romance in the UK or crave a mini-moon straight after your jam packed big day, then the New Forest National Park on England’s south coast ticks all the boxes.
Here are just some of the great reasons to jump in the car and explore this gorgeous little pocket of paradise on England’s south coast.
Things to do
Get your walking shoes on – you’re in for a treat!
Mother Nature certainly knows how to stage a romantic scene with dreamy untamed landscapes. Pack a picnic and head off across pinky-purple heather strewn plains laced with streams and ancient woodlands that look like they are straight out of a fairy tale – there are lots of New Forest walking routes available to download on to your phone. The New Forest’s famous residents, thousands of free-roaming ponies and donkeys, all add to the magic. Find a wild flower meadow, unfurl a blanket and dine on delicious, local artisan goodies from one of the area’s many farm shops.
Mark your milestone with a bespoke Perfume
Capture your honeymoon for years to come in a sentimental scent with a trip to New Forest Aromatics. This imaginative and romantic gift starts with a detailed conversation with owner Debbie Mulkern, a perfumier whose creations for luxury spas and natural fragrance companies are inspired by her travels across the Far East and Australia. She’ll guide you through aromatic elements of the essential oils which she mixes with fascinating sorcery. She’ll add a little bit of this and a little bit of that, getting you to sample it at every stage of the creation to make sure it’s perfect, until your very own bespoke scent is bottled and ready to take home.
Tandem bike bonding
The New Forest is relatively flat with no huge hills to climb (well, very few), so bicycles are a popular and fun form of transport, and the National Park has over 100 miles of designated bike tracks begging to be explored. But for an unusual and romantic spin on two wheels, hire out a tandem bike for two, which you can hire from Forest Leisure Cycling in Burley or Cyclexperience in Brockenhurst. As they say, life’s experiences are best when shared, and you can certainly boost up the romance factor peddling through the wind, navigating through sleepy villages and beautiful countryside.
Swap pedals for paddles
Take a two-seater Canadian canoe tour along the national park’s tidal Beaulieu River. It’s great fun and very relaxing, with nature’s juke box accompanying you along the way. You’ll glide past multimillion-pound mansions and historic landmarks before paddling into the reed-lined channels of Keyhaven Nature Reserve. If you choose to have a guide, they will point out secretive wildlife tip-toeing among ancient oak trees. Spot falcons, little egrets, bright flashes of Kingfishers, curlews and, if you’re lucky, the river’s resident seals may pop up and clown around for some added entertainment. Try New Forest Activities for kayak hire and guided tours.
Where to stay
You’ll likely be hankering for somewhere intimate and memorable to stay after your big day, but that doesn’t necessarily mean a hotel – especially in a location like the New Forest. Think of somewhere that offers the ultimate in privacy, a place to kick off your shoes and chill out with plenty of space, far from the cries of children and other guests. That’s where New Forest Cottages come in. Check out our selection of cottages for a romantic break.
Where to Eat
Verveine Fishmarket and Restaurant isn’t like other restaurants. There’s no menu, you just choose the number of courses and tell the server what you don’t like. And just like that, Chef David Wykes will create exquisite and uniquely gastronomic tapestries of taste on a plate. Delights include octopus, blood orange, pickled fennel and Campari rocks. Tiger prawns with home-smoked duck arrive under smoke-filled cloches, carrots are cooked in coffee butter, milk is smoked to make ice cream, pieces of ‘coal’ are edible, and desserts include chewy pear, tonka mousse, hay ice cream parsnip sponge and parsnip golden syrup. Everything is super fresh and strictly seasonal. Expect home-made everything, from bread and pasta to sweets in edible wrapping. Any meal here will feel like a celebration.
For more deliciously romantic meals try Hartnett Holder & Co at the 5 star Lime Wood Hotel near Lyndhurst. TV’s Angela Hartnett and Luke Holder have created a popular Anglo-Italian inspired menu served in informal, relaxed surroundings. The Pig in Brockenhurst is an enchanting spot for dinner. Keeping to it’s namesake, the menu features lots of porky favourites like saddleback crackling & apple sauce, chorizo and brawn. Mains are a delight including dishes of sticky lamb belly with lentils, asparagus and mint, as well as dressed crab with perfect triple cooked chips. Every item on the menu is sourced within a 25 mile radius starting with the kitchen garden. There’s no denying chef James Golding certainly knows how to showcase produce with skill and undeniable flare.
See the full portfolio of New Forest Cottages here