New Forest Northern Commons

Discover a wealth of wildlife and picture-perfect views with a summer walk in our New Forest Commons. We've got three very different downloadable trails for you to try, drawing you into some of the Forest's fascinating history, and magnificent ancient landscapes.

With more people than ever enjoying our coast and countryside places, we’re asking for your help in looking after them during your visit. Please help us protect wildlife and landscapes by following the Countryside Code, which includes taking any litter home with you and not lighting a barbecue or campfire.

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.

Lowland heathland is an internationally rare habitat, for which the New Forest is one of the main strongholds in Britain. This varied landscape provides habitat for a vast array of rare and diverse wildlife, including an array of birds, reptiles, insects and plants.

We've planted 26 hectares - that’s 18,000 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.

The cutting of trees by the team at this time of the year can appear very destructive, but these extremely important management practices are undertaken to protect the rare heathland for years to come.

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