Whether living in, or visiting the New Forest, we wanted to share a few of our top tips to help protect this very special part of the world! With miles of majestic woodlands and stunning coastline to explore, please delve below for some of our insider info on protecting our National Park…
New Forest Ponies
With around 3,000 beautiful New Forest ponies wandering throughout the countryside, and meandering through many of the smaller villages (Beaulieu, Boldre & Burley are particular horsey hot spots!), you will be sure to meet an abundance of these beautiful creatures on your travels!
Dating back to laws created centuries ago, local land-owners called, New Forest Commoners, own and care for their ponies, whilst working alongside Verderers & Agisters to make sure the ponies are kept safe as they freely graze the land.
As tempting as it may be to offer a bite of something to your these friendly nay-bours, please do not feed them as this can cause aggressive behaviour, and encourage them to gather in places that might not be safe- this is a law, which carries a £200 fine.
Top Tips & Bits
- Never feed the ponies
- Stay within the speed limit & take extra care driving on country roads – it’s 40mph in most places. The animals have right of way by law.
- Be cautious approaching ponies- particularly mothers with their young
- Grazing abundantly throughout the New Forest’s woodlands, Brockenhurst & Burley Villages are well known hotspots for ponies that like to hit the town!
Forest & beach adventures
BBQs
To help prevent dangerous fires, there is a strict no barbecue rule for all of the forest and woodlands (including the car parks).
Car parks
Please park in the designated carparks when exploring any forest tracks. With so many routes on offer, so feel free to pack a picnic (ensuring no litter is left behind) and explore at your leisure, but be mindful to leave before dusk when the carparks are mainly closed for the night.
Electric car charging points in the New Forest
If you exploring the New Forest by an electric, or plug-in hybrid car, we’ve collated the map below with an overview of electric charging points in the New Forest.
As part of our ‘Going Greener’ initiative, we are also thrilled to let you know that a number of our homes will be installing their own electric charging points in the coming months for you to use during your stay – stay tuned for more information!
Dogs
You know your best friends best…and although dogs are free to enjoy all of the woodland & coastal trails with you; please use your discretion about whether a lead would be better suited to those four-legged visitors who might get a little over excited or distracted when out and about exploring!
Most of our homes-from-home are happy to welcome in furry guests (as are many pubs and shops in the New Forest) – you can browse our pet friendly holiday homes, or read our round-up of the best dog friendly walks in the New Forest!
Biking
Biking is a great way to take the scenic route whilst keeping your carbon footprint down! Check out our top routes – and if you are looking for a little ‘Jaunte’ by the means of an electric bike hire, we road tested a great local company and can definitely vouch for their zippy numbers!
Protecting the New Forest is something that we are passionate about! Hopefully our summary has given you a taster into how you can keep this magical area thriving, but for more information, the New Forest National Park Authority also has an abundance of information, start by reading their New Forest Code – it’s chock-full of great information and helpful hints.