The New Forest offers walkers and hikers the opportunity for day-walks in one of the best locations the South of England has to offer. The New Forest became a National Park in 2005 and contains around two-hundred square miles of land for walking and cycling given that motor vehicles such as cars are not allowed in this region.
The National Park is located between Southampton and Bournemouth with a coastal border and offer walkers fantastic heathland, grassland and bog land to walk and enjoy the countryside.
Originally the area was the hunting ground of William the Conqueror in 1079 and whilst there is still some hunting within the area, typically the area is used for walking and by cattle farmers, although there are also a few thousand horses in this area due to an old tradition dating back in time where the area was considered a “Commoning” area meaning that commoners also have the rights to let their animals roam over the New Forest and Villages.
If you’re driving in the area, firstly watch you’re speed as whilst all the roads have fantastic run-off areas, generally the roads are not the problem. The problem is the animals as they have right of way and you’re likely to see plenty of horses and cows across the park. The land is generally either grassland or bogged land and whilst there are some hills, the area is very flat meaning that very easy day-walks or afternoon-walks are possible.
Navigation is also very easy given that the area has over 300 miles of paths and signs allowing you to easily get back to your car without getting lost. The weather is also much better than locations in the Northern UK, but if you want to spend time in the area, but do not fancy walking in the area then you could consider other options such as the New Forest Visitor Museem or the town of Lymington.
