New Forest Essential Guide to the National Park 2018
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FREE The New Forest Essential Guide to the National Park 2018 Maps Events guide Places to explore Walking & cycling The New Forest Essential Guide is brought to you by: WIN a£300 Forest Holidays gift voucher Architects of the Feeding ponies human food, or even things like carrots, causes serious issues in the New Forest. Some ponies and donkeys develop an forest unhealthy craving for human food and become aggressive with people Commoning is a form of farming The ponies are sometimes described who, quite rightly, try to keep their which allows ponies, cattle, pigs, as ‘the architects of the forest’ because picnics to themselves. donkeys and, in certain areas, sheep their grazing creates much of what to graze and forage on unfenced people know and love as the New There is plenty of lush grass for ponies common land. Forest – the close-cropped ‘lawns’ to eat in the spring and summer and between the wooded areas and the in the winter months they are well- Each pony in the National Park is distinctive ‘browse line’ on the trees adapted to eating prickly fare such as owned by a ‘commoner’ – someone marking the highest point ponies gorse, brambles and holly. Human whose property has common rights can reach. food also gives the ponies colic (bad allowing them to turn out ponies to stomach ache) which is very painful. graze on the forest. Over 10,000 ponies and cattle roam free in the National Visitors are asked Don’t feed the ponies, it attracts them to Park and it is rarely possible to travel not to feed or car parks and roads, where they are at more than a few miles without coming ! touch the ponies serious risk of accidents. Sadly dozens across these famous forest residents. as they may look of ponies are killed or injured on the friendly, but they are roads of the New Forest each year. IT’S THE LAW: New Forest Animal Report all accidents involving a pony, cow, Emergency Hotlines donkey, dog, pig or unpredictable and sheep to the Police as soon as possible, and within 24 hours. Please help reduce animal accidents can bite and kick, Animal emergency hotline especially mares in the New Forest by driving extra cards are available carefully in the dark and from garages and Local with foals. Information Points across #add3minutes to your journey. the New Forest. newforestnpa.gov.uk/add3minutes Our Past, from improving wildlife corridors and restoring Our Future woodlands, to getting local communities involved in art Our Past, Our Future is and creating a database of a Heritage Lottery Fund historical documents about 242 people were trained in 24 rural skills scheme led by the New the New Forest. courses such as cob building. Forest National Park Authority in partnership For more information, visit: Welcome with 10 other organisations. newforestnpa.gov.uk/ 335 volunteers Welcome to our new look 2018 edition of ‘The New Forest Essential Guide’. landscapepartnership helped pull We hope you’ll enjoy the more compact size, still bursting with information The five-year scheme is in 10,000 trees (of the planned 20,000) have up non-native its third year and has seen been planted in the first 2 years of the invasive plants about this very special place. scheme at the National Trust’s Foxbury site which choke some excellent outcomes, thanks to help from volunteers. waterways. The New Forest is a world capital for wildlife with Love the Forest, buy local New Forest Marque a huge diversity of rare plants and animals – one produce and of course by giving way to our of the reasons why it was made a National Park in treasured grazing animals by driving more slowly, 2005. A place of outstanding natural beauty, the every little bit helps. unique landscape is shaped by grazing ponies, cattle and pigs that roam freely. Find out about more sustainable ways to get around the forest using one of the New Forest Tour One of the last places in southern England to routes, or simply join an organised event to learn offer a sense of wildness and tranquillity, it’s a more about the wildlife, history and culture of the wonderful area to explore. Indeed William the National Park. Conqueror, who set aside the ‘New Forest’ for hunting more than 900 years ago, would probably recognise much of it today. Find out more at: forestry.gov.uk/newforest Whether you fancy an active day out or just want to while away a few peaceful hours enjoying its newforestnpa.gov.uk/aboutus beauty, a visit is one forever remembered. And @newforestnpa you can give back to the forest too during your newforestnpa visit. Whether you choose to donate to 2 3 New Forest Walking Festival 2018 13 to 28 October Follow our waymarked Miles of waymarked This autumn join local experts for walks and trails. trails to explore! 80 fascinating New Forest walks at the annual walking festival, now in The following trails are marked on the its sixth year! ground by wooden marker posts with coloured bands. An overview map of Walkers of all ages and interests each route is displayed at the start can go behind the scenes and point in the car park. All routes are discover more about the New Forest circular and will bring you back to your on wildlife walks, history hikes and starting point. The numbers refer to family strolls. map locations on centre pages. Booking is essential. Browse the walks and book from August onwards at: 2 From Bolderwood car park: 6 From Blackwater or 3 Reptile Centre car park: newforestnpa.gov.uk/ Brockhill car parks: walkingfestival Deer Watch Trail Reptile Trail 0.75km/0.5 miles Tall Trees Trail 2km/1.5 miles A short stroll leading you to a deer 2.5km/1.5 miles Enjoy a circular walk through the viewing platform overlooking fields Follow the marker posts and you will woods. The trail mainly follows a fairly where wild herds of fallow deer be guided along a shady path beneath smooth, gravelled surface. are frequently seen. The path is a mighty Douglas firs and redwoods that moderately smooth, gravelled surface were planted during the reign of Queen 8 Wilverley car parks: with gentle slopes and benches along Victoria. The path has a fairly smooth, the way. The trail is accessed by a gate gravelled surface. The trail is flat with Wilverley Wander which has a low catch. frequent resting places and no gates. 4.2km/2.5 miles A longer and more informal trail which Jubilee Grove Trail Blackwater Arboretum Trail winds through this diverse and working 1.5km/1 mile 0.75km/0.5 miles woodland. The paths are moderately Including the deer fields, this A circular route which leads you smooth, gravelled surfaces with some Learn more about the special meandering route leads you past past tree species from around the short, steep slopes. Please note that qualities of the New Forest One-stop-shop for some majestic trees, the oldest of world. By following the unique panels part of this trail is on a cycle route. while enjoying a healthy stroll. which date back to 1860. Benches you can use your senses to discover the New Forest walks from which to admire their beauty secrets that these trees hold. Benches 5 Knightwood car park: can be found along the way. The path are located along the walk. The path and bike rides is a moderately smooth, gravelled has a fairly smooth, gravelled surface Knightwood Oak surface with two short ‘but fairly steep’ with one very gentle slope. Less than 0.25 miles Explore the woods, heathland and slopes and frequent resting places. A short stroll to one of the most coast of the New Forest National Park The trail is accessed via a gate which 7 From Whitefield Moor or famous trees in the New Forest. on 50 easy to follow routes. has a low catch. Puttles Bridge car parks: Believed to have been planted before 1600, this tree is still going strong and The online New Forest routes finder Radnor Trail Ober Water Trails is a spectacular example of the ancient allows you to search by distance, 3km/2 miles 1.5km/1 mile (red trail) practice of pollarding. Benches are location or even whether there is a pub A longer route which takes you into 2.5km/1.5miles (yellow trail) located throughout. The path has a near the route! Once you find the route the heart of the forest and across the Two circular routes follow the Ober fairly smooth, gravelled surface. for you just print off the directions or Bratley Water stream. Benches and Water midway between its source download the trails to your smartphone picnic benches are located along the and the sea. Close to this meandering for free. New for this year: trail. The path is a moderately smooth, stream is the open grassy expanse Hundreds of miles gravelled surface with two short ‘but of Whitefield Moor. The paths are The trails have step-by-step instructions of New Forest fairly steep’ slopes and frequent resting moderately smooth, gravelled surfaces as well as videos and images of some tracks have been places. The trail is accessed via a gate and compacted grassy ground with of the walk’s highlights. photographed which has a low catch. some gentle slopes and a few resting and can be places. This trail can be muddy after Browse and download routes now at: explored at maps. wet weather. newforestnpa.gov.uk/routes google.co.uk 4 5 We’ve got the trails, are you ready to ride? Explore the National Park on two Brockenhurst and Sway and links the Adventure cycling wheels, with more than 100 miles main New Forest villages.