|
& Book Online
Email us at
|
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
Home > The New Forest > About the Forest The history, location and wildlife Brief history William the Conqueror had a passion for hunting wild boar and deer. In 1079, over nine centuries ago, he decided to make room for his passion by making the area into his private hunting preserve. The clearings were planted with fast growing trees, such as Scots Pines, to give covering for the deer to make them fair game to hunt. He also laid down rules that anyone killed deer without permission would die; anyone who missed would have their hand cut off. Not a very popular person! Location The Forest is located in the Southwest of Hampshire and lies between Southampton water and river Avon. The boundaries have shrunk since William the Conqueror's days and now surround 120 square miles. It encompasses the area between the holiday resort of Bournemouth, with its beautiful sandy beach and the city of Southampton. It spans from sea level to about 400 feet on the Long Cross Plain, which is on the Northwest side of the Forest. Flora The Forest is not all a mass of trees; in fact the name is quite misleading. The area contains a variety of scenery from heathland and gorseland to broad-leaved trees to bogs and marl pits. The heathland is the growing ground for gorse bushes and heather, which the ponies eat. Along the more protected areas there grows bluebells, wildrose, primroses and different variety of grasses. You will see these, especially the bluebells in Spring, if you take the walk through Royden Wood in May. Ponies The New Forest ponies are world-renowned. Find out more about them on our New Forest pony page. Wildlife Within these perimeters roam wildlife: ponies, the deer: the Red deer, Japanese Sika deer and the small Roe deer; and plenty of rabbits, other rodents, badgers, otters and fox. Apart from seeing these animals in the wild there are sanctuaries in the Forest to view them. Deer are shy creatures, but the place to see them is at the Deer Sanctuary in Bolderwood. The Otter and Owl Sanctuary at Ashurst, near Southampton boast animals living in near enough natural surroundings. Specially build bunkers and artificial moonlight provides the setting for badger watching in Burley. The forest is a bird watchers paradise with woodpeckers to the common starling. Trees Some magnificent trees grow such as the Oak, Beech, Ash, Scotch Fir, Chestnut and Douglas Fir. Lanes such as the Rhinefield Ornamental Drive are lined with massive trees left to grow to their own devices. In the spring they are in a blaze of colour; in the autumn, a muted golden colour. The Drive will take you from Brockenhurst, across the A35, to Bolderwood, where the trees grow taller and where you will see more wildlife. Some trees are native to the country; others have been imported for their fast growing qualities. Learn more The District Council keeps a detailed local history and information website about the New Forest which is well-worth a visit.
|
|