New Forest National Park

The New Forest National Park covers large parts of southwest Hampshire and southeast Wiltshire. It is one of the largest remaining areas of unenclosed pasture, heathland and forest in southern England. William the Conqueror declared it a royal forest in the 11th century, and it appears in the Domesday Book. The forest remains home to New Forest Commoners, who still exercise ancient grazing rights. Verderers and agisters enforce these rights according to long-standing traditions. The forest also supplies timber for the Royal Navy, a role it has played since the 18th century. The New Forest shelters rare birds and mammals in its varied habitats. Its boundaries have shifted over time, but it now includes a 289-square-kilometre Site of Special Scientific Interest. Several woods and moors are designated Geological Conservation Review sites. The park is also a Special Area of Conservation, a Ramsar site and a Special Protection Area. Common rights were confirmed by the New Forest Act of 1697, and further Acts in the 19th and 20th centuries strengthened protections. Roughly 90 per cent of the forest remains Crown land, managed today by Forestry England. Visitors find open heaths, ancient woodlands and grassy glades across the park. Round barrows and boiling mounds dot the landscape, alongside about 150 scheduled monuments. The Rufus Stone marks the reputed spot where King William II died in 1100. Plantations from the First and Second World Wars are gradually being restored to native woodland. Nature reserves such as Kingston Great Common and areas managed by the National Trust offer quiet walking routes. The forest’s mix of habitats supports wildlife while providing peaceful places to explore.