New Forest Northern Commons

A blooming landscape of heathland restoration, open for special events which help people connect to nature. Foxbury is our groundbreaking heathland restoration project: a 150 hectare site of dry and wet heathland, ponds and woodland, already colonised by many rare heathland wildlife specialists.

Fantastic examples of upland dry heathland, leading through gentle valley systems to rich mires and bogs. These Commons are steeped in history, with ornamental plantations and wartime structures still forming part of the landscape.

A national stronghold for the rare small fleabane flowering plant. Small woodlands dotted amongst open bogs and wetlands characterise this Common, best viewed from atop Stagbury Hill, a bronze age burial mound.

A site of lowland heathland, great for butterflies and ground-nesting bird populations, leading to one of the best examples of a heathland valley mire system in Britain.

A small pocket of lowland heathland on the edge of the New Forest boasting stunning views to the south.

A summer walk in the New Forest reveals ancient landscapes of heathland, woodland and valley mires. Discover diverse and colourful wildlife, from fragile wildflowers and secretive reptiles to heath-loving insects and birds. Follow our Huff Duff downloadable trail and you'll discover World War Two history and nearby, a 16th-century family pub for summer refreshments.

Visit our Foxbury page to find out about our events, from Forest School to guided walks. With miles of wide, all-weather gravel tracks, Foxbury is a great way to experience the outdoors and connect with nature. Open for events only.

We're planting 26 hectares - that’s 22,000 trees - of native broad-leafed woodland in Foxbury, in the heart of the New Forest. This is our biggest heathland restoration project in England, and the trees will support thousands of wildlife species.

Learn about the all important but often unnoticed day to day work we do that maintains this land for everyone to enjoy.

Our team have an important role caring for our varied New Forest habitats.

Head to the open heaths of our New Forest commons on a summer evening for a wildlife fiesta. You'll find flittering bats, delicate moths and a magnificent dusk chorus. Listen out for the churring of the rare nightjar.

Nightjars are special heathland birds that migrate from Africa to breed in the New Forest, appearing between late April and August. This rare bird is most likely to be spotted after dusk - listen out for its distinctive 'churr'.

We care for many diverse habitats in the New Forest. One of the rarest is the lowland heathland.

The New Forest has a history stretching back over a thousand years, and has traditions which are still going strong to this day.

Find out about the tradition of commoning in the New Forest