New Forest Access For All
A locally based voluntary organisation working to provide
information and improve access in the New Forest Area
Registered Charity No. 1106068
The New Forest Past
This small corner or England in the south of Hampshire is all that remains of a primeval forest that at one time covered almost all of Southern England. It has been shaped by man for countless generations to suit his ever changing needs and requirements. In 1079 William the Conqueror claimed The Forest as a Royal Hunting preserve renaming it Nova Foresta (New Forest), a name which has survived to the present day.
If you would like to know more about Commoning
and/or New Forest Ponies
visit the following Websites:-
visit the following Websites:-
New Forest Commoners Defence Association
www.newforestcommoners.co.uk
New Forest Pony Publicity Group
New Forest Pony Breeding & Cattle Society
New Forest Equestrian Association
New Forest Pony Enthusiasts Club
www.newforestpony.co.uk
New Forest Equestrian Association
New Forest Pony Enthusiasts Club
www.newforestpony.co.uk
The New Forest Present
The New Forest is England's newest and smallest National Park and is recognized as one of the most unique and important wilderness areas in Western Europe. It comprises 140 square miles of varied landscapes - heath, valley bog, grassy lawns, pine forest and of course the ancient and ornamental beech and oak woods for which it s famous. These marvellous habitats are home to thousands of common and rare flora and fauna including five different species of wild deer (Roe, Fallow, Red, Sika and Munjac.
To add to its unique character, forest families (Commoners) still exercise their ancient Rights of (1) Pasture by turning out their ponies, cattle & donkeys to graze and browse the open forest wastes and (2) Pannage in the Autumn when pigs are released to eat the acorns and beech nuts which can poison the cattle & ponies. These animals help to maintain the Forest’s unique landscape which continued grazing has shaped over the last 900 years by providing a natural environmental management system. Without them The Forest would not exist today!
The New Forest Ponies
The Ponies of The New Forest are a semi-wild indigenous species whose origins are unknown and the subject of much speculation. They are hardy, tough and sure footed and capable of surviving on The Forest during the winter months when they supplement their diet by eating gorse tips, which are highly nutritious, and an assortment of other twigs and shoots helping to keep scrub growth at bay. They are much sought after as riding and driving ponies and sales are held at the Sale Yard at Beaulieu Road Station six times a year once in the Spring and then on the first Thursday of August, September, October, November and December to coincide with the Drifts (Round-ups) which take place throughout the Autumn.
The New Forest