A brief history of the New Forest, Hampshire, England.
The New Forest, Hampshire, England....visit us for more information on
New Forest Holiday Cottages , the New Forest and what to do while staying here!
.....the landscape is unique and traditions exist here that are unchanged since mediaeval times. Over the centuries too many places have changed almost beyond recognition yet the New Forest's ancient woodlands and widerness heath remains largely intact, earning the area national and international status.
This most English of forests continues to be a living and working community where ponies and cattle still have right of way as they freely graze the land. Deeper in the forest wild deer browse beneath canopies of mighty oak and beech - natural scenes unchanged by the modern world. It is remarkable that this way of life has survived as a remnant of ancient England along with the unmistakable landscape it created, when so much of our heritage has been lost elsewhere.
The New Forest was created by King William I in 1079, just 13 years after the Battle of Hastings. This was the land of earlier Jutish settlers known as Ytene. For William, it was ideal for a new hunting ground, a poor, thinly populated district of furzey waste and ancient woodland covering over 200 square miles, yet close to his royal capital of Winchester.
In Norman times, the word 'forest' had dark overtones, signifying a land ruled without quarter by kings who jealously guarded their right to hunt unhindered by the petty concerns of local people.
To these poor folk, the forest law was brutal. They could not protect their crops with fences or hedges. They could not take timber for their houses. They could not catch game for their pots. The penalty was mutilation or death. But it was grudgingly conceded that they had to live on something, and to this end they were allowed to graze livestock on the forest wastes. This right survives 900 years later as animals owned by local people still roam across the forest. Their grazing has created and maintained the landscape that is such a well-loved part of our national heritage. Without constant browsing, the forest would soon disappear under heavy scrub and the wide open spaces would be no more.
The New Forest with its wonderfully rich collection of plants, birds and insects is now a national nature reserve. It is unique in this country for its sense of freedom. With the exception of the timber inclosures, no boundaries separate one habitat from another. Wild antiquity has determined this rich mosaic of ancient woodlands, windswept heaths, wet valley mires and fertile streamside lawns.
An intriguing paradox, this ancient forest, now managed by the Forestry Commission, changes but little each century yet is always on the move, forever advancing and decaying through a timeless ebb and flow of nature.
Step Backwards in Time As we enter the New Forest today, we appear to step backwards in time. The landscape is unique and traditions exist here that are unchanged since mediaeval times. The New Forest's ancient woodlands and wilderness heaths remain largely intact, earning the area national and international status.
Naturally... A Way of Life The New Forest hasn't really changed since William the Conqueror gave it his special protection nearly 900 years ago. The ancient system set in place to protect the woodlands and wilderness heaths still works today through the efforts of Verderers, Agisters and commoners - literally the judges, police and land users of the forest.
The Verderers Hall The Ancient Verderers Court dates from Norman times and today is one of Britain's oldest judicial courts. It was originally set up to administer a judicial system that protected the beasts of the New Forest and their woodland habitat. Severe laws ensured that the hunting of deer and wild boar remained the jealously guarded privilege of the King and his followers.
Today the Verderers sit in public six times a year and administer the New Forest's commoning system.
Commoners It is hard to imagine the New Forest without its famous New Forest Ponies. Each animal is owned by a commoner and must be marked with an individual brand before being left to wander the open forest at will. Anyone may become a commoner, the term simply refers to a person who owns or rents a property or plot of land to which privileges known as rights of common are attached. More often than not they have the right of pasture which allows them to graze stock on the open forest. About 300 commoners currently exercise this particular right.
The New Forest Pony or horse was an important rural economy before the car, and the tradition of keeping them provided a valuable income. Today, rather than work horses, the demand is for riding ponies, and only a handful of commoners are able to make their complete living keeping stock.
Keepers To forest folk, the New Forest keeper is a well-known character. The office of keeper is as ancient as the hunting forest itself and today's keeper continues to follow a proud tradition. Employed by the Forestry Commission on behalf of the Crown, keepers undertake a range of wildlife, conservation and recreation duties. Each of the twelve keepers has a detailed knowledge of his particular beat, where he also manages the deer populations.
Landscape Less than half of the forest's 150 square miles is actually wooded. The term forest was originally taken to include not only woodland but open heathland, pasture land and small human settlements - in short, the habitat for the wild beasts of the Royal Chase. New Forest woodland is essentially of two main types, the timber Inclosures and the Ancient and Ornamental Woodlands.
It is the
Ancient and Ornamental Woodlands, mainly old oak and beech, that capture the imagination and evoke the timelessness and mystery associated with the New Forest. These magnificent woodlands have a truly medieaval character. Their boundaries are irregular and difficult to define, interrupted by sunlit leafy glades, created by the collapse of decaying giants or the savage strength of winter gales.
Ancient and Ornamental Woodlands are open to the deer and the commoners' animals. The Inclosures, on the other hand, date back to 1483 when commoning animals were first excluded from timber producing areas by enclosing them with stock-proof fences.
Visitor Information Centres are located at:
Lyndhurst, The Main Car Park.
March-June Mon - Sun from 10.00 - 17.00
July-Aug, Mon-Sun from 10.00 - 18.00
Sept-Oct Mon-Sun from 10.00 - 17.00
Nov-Feb Mon-Fri from 10.00 - 16.00.
Sat-Sun from 10.00-17.00
Tel: 023 8028 2269. Fax:023 8028 4404
Lymington, New Street.
Apr-Sept, Mon-Sat from 10.00 - 17.00
Oct-Mar, Mon-Sat from 10.00 - 16.00
Tel: 01590 689000 Fax: 01590 673990
Ringwood, The Furlong.
Apr-Jun, Mon-Sat from 10.00 - 16.00
Jul-Sept, Mon-Sat from 10.00 - 17.00
Oct. Mon-Sat, 10.00 - 16.00
Nov-Mar, Tues/Weds/Fri/Sat 10.00 - 15.00
Tel: 01425 470896 Fax: 01425 461172
