The New Forest

To the east of Bournemouth, in the neighbouring county of Hampshire, lies the medieval royal hunting area of The New Forest. Created in 1079 by William the Conqueror, the landscape has remained largely unchanged and in 2005 was classified as a National Park.

Renowned for its free roaming ponies, the New Forest is a walker's paradise and numerous books and leaflets describe circular and linear walks of varying length and difficulty allowing the visitor to both appreciate the beauty of the area and learn something of its history and origins.There are also guided walks all year round where you can explore the forest in the company of a local expert.

Besides the beauty of the forest itself there are other things to interest visitors. The New Forest Museum in Lyndhurst is a good place to start any visit. Here you will find displays on all aspects of life in the Forest and learn all about its history. There is a film, computer interactives and a 25 feet long tapestry together with colourings and quizzes for children. There is also a gift shop selling souvenirs, gifts and a large selection of local books.

The grave of Alice Lidell (the Alice from Alice in Wonderland) can be found in Lyndhurst churchyard although she was buried as Mrs Reginald Hargreaves.

Another place worth visiting is the little village of Burley, very much geared towards tourism with its tea rooms, gift shops and art galleries. Many of its souvenir shops have a witch theme, due to Sybil Leek, a white witch who lived in the village during the late 1950s and wrote many books about witchcraft.

At Brockenhurst visitors can see St Nicholas' Church, believed to be the oldest in the forest and recorded in the Domesday Book. Many different architectural styles can be seen in the church, from the Norman stonework of The Nave and the fine 17th century barrel vaulted roof to the Georgian brickwork of the Tower.

Next to the church stands a Yew Tree carbon dated to be more than 1000 years old and with a trunk over 20 feet in diameter at its widest point. A walk around the churchyard reveals the grave of 'Brusher Mills', a local snake-catcher in the 19th century, and an Anzac War cemetery with the graves of almost 100 New Zealanders who were killed in the first world war (the no.1 New Zealand General Hospital being based at 3 sites around Brockenhurst at this time).

Among other tourist attractions are the 25 acre New Forest Otter Owl and Wildlife Park 7 km from Southampton where visitors can see otters, owls, pine martens, badgers, foxes, deer, wild boar and more in their natural surroundings and Beaulieu Motor Museum, Palace and Abbey, home to The National Motor Museum which includes a motorsport gallery, the James Bond Experience featuring vehicles from the films, many cars once owned by celebrities and film stars, Wheels - a trip through motoring history, the countrys first monorail and much more.

If you want to stay in the New Forest you will find a wide array of accommodation on hand. There are the nearby hotels and many of the pubs also have rooms on offer. There is a wide variety of camping facilities available including Sandy Balls holiday centre. For those that prefer to have all the comforts of home you will be able to find plenty of New Forest cottages available to rent. These holiday cottages in the New Forest are perhaps one of the best ways to visit the area as they allow you to come and go as you please and your cottage will feel like a home from home.

More information at www.newforestmuseum.org.uk, www.ottersandowls.co.uk/newforest.htm andwww.beaulieu.co.uk