As the summer holidays draw to a close, and seasonal throngs of tourists start to subside, we take a look at what has been an amazingly busy summer here at New Forest Cottages.
With more properties in our portfolio than ever before – that’s 157 and counting, the team in Lymington High street have been run off their feet with bookings and enquiries. September looks to remain a busy month, with visitors grabbing the last chance of English summertime before the slight nip in the air turns chilly.
Visitor numbers to the New Forest for a cottage holiday are certainly on the up, with the trend of holiday makers choosing to spend more on their holiday accommodation. A quintessential pretty village (of which the New Forest has a bountiful supply), is a popular choice, especially if it has a great pub and local provisions.
Brockenhurst has always been number one for location. Being slap bang in the middle of the forest would be a good guess why, although the idea of shopping with a pony ambling alongside must bring a quirky smile to the face of city dwellers escaping the rat race.
However, Lymington has certainly seen a boost this year in popularity, and now rivals Brockenhurst as to which is the most popular destination. The town has a good range of high street stores, and, thankfully, an even better posse of independent shops and eateries. Maybe being featured in The Times as one of the best places to live has something to do with it? Or maybe, Lymington has shot to fame after featuring in this summer’s top ITV crime drama ‘Unforgotten’ staring Nicola Walker and Sanjeev Bhaskar. Locals will remember the cast and crew filming in Lymington back in March. The team at New Forest Cottages say there has been a steady stream of conversation about the TV show with cottage visitors; on the run up to the season finale a few weeks ago. Whatever the reason, we are all in agreement that Lymington is an enchanting destination – and you don’t have to be a sailor to enjoy it.