A New Forest holiday based in Lyndhurst is an excellent idea if you are looking for a central forest location with a great selection of lovely pubs and places to eat on your doorstep.
It’s one of the larger villages in the New Forest, steeped in history. It boasts a thriving and attractive high street of half-timbered buildings and shops made from white-washed cottages and handsome red-brick facades. It’s easy to lose hours mooching in and out of Lyndhurst’s plentiful supply of gift and souvenir shops, alongside independent boutiques, antique and art galleries, craft shops and beautiful homeware stores.
You can stock up your holiday cottage cupboards with provisions from the supermarket or enjoy local produce from Lyndhurst’s award-winning butchers and artisan bakeries. There are some wonderful farm shops nearby as well – try Acres Down set on a working farm near Minstead, Sunnyfields in Totton and Setley Ridge Farm Shop at Setley Ridge Vineyard near Brockenhurst.
The most convenient and stress-free aspect of booking a New Forest holiday cottage in Lyndhurst is the large number of gorgeous pubs, fantastic restaurants, take-aways, cafes and delicious tea rooms on your doorstep. There are far too many to mention here, but it would be wrong not to highlight The Waterloo Arms for cask ale and good food in the beer garden or beside the wood fire, La Pergola for authentic Italian – there’s also plenty of outdoor seating and a children’s play area, and Passage to India – because who doesn’t love a good curry? Top of the crop for wine bar aficionados is Renoufs; their wine selection and platters are exceptional. Last but by no means least is the motley-mix of fish dishes and beef burgers at the aptly named Surfing Moo Moo, which wins a constant stream of rave reviews.
Lyndhurst was proclaimed the Capital of the New Forest by William the Conqueror in 1079 when he established the region as his royal hunting ground, and the village boasts a posse of historic landmarks and buildings. Its crowning glory is The Queens House and Verderer’s Hall at the top of the High Street. It’s the local headquarters for the Forestry Commission and home to the Court of Verderers. They are the judicial officers appointed to conserve the forest’s common land and ancient laws established in Medieval times.
Pop into St Michael and All Angel’s church (opposite) and have a peek at the stained glass windows designed by William Morris before taking a stroll around the little graveyard where you’ll find the final resting place of Alice Hargreaves. The famous children’s author Lewis Carroll visited Alice’s family in Lyndhurst when she was a child and modelled her as his Alice in the children’s classics Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass.
In the centre of Lyndhurst is The New Forest Heritage Centre which has a revolving gallery of artworks, interactive exhibitions and information about the fascinating history, wildlife and nature of the New Forest, plus a year-round calendar of events. Ask staff about recommendations for walks and you’ll come away with a wodge of maps, trails and routes to explore. And if a day out on two wheels is more your calling, there’s also bike hire in the village from AA Cycling and Woods Cyclery.
At the very end of the high street is a popular beauty spot and scenic viewpoint called Bolton’s Bench. Set high on a hillock, a bench sits beneath an enormous yew tree overlooking the village cricket pitch where matches are held in the summer months. The forest’s famous free-roaming ponies and donkeys often gather there, providing perfect holiday pictures.
There’s lots of woodland wildlife, breathtaking landscapes and the National Park’s ancient woods and heathlands within easy walking distance of your New Forest cottage. It’s no hardship to spend days ambling through the forest, stopping at country pubs for lovely long lunches, taking time to relax with no particular time scale or deadline.
If you want to head further afield, the hop-on, hop-off circular bus service runs throughout the summer. Or, jump in the car to close-by attractions such as the New Forest Wildlife Park, which is home to owls, wolves, a large number of raucous otters, wild boars, huge Bison, wildcats and pine martens. The New Forest Reptile Centre showcases Britain’s native amphibians and reptiles. Children will love Longdown Activity Farm, which has farmyard animals, a baby petting barn and an indoor play centre. Because Lyndhurst is so central and well connected, you’ll find that all the New Forest and surrounding area’s attractions are quick and easy to get to.
Lyndhurst certainly ticks all the boxes for a New Forest holiday.