New Forest Northern Commons

New Forest ponies drink at Dockens Water in the New Forest, Hampshire

Important notice -

In line with government guidance, our New Forest Northern Commons (apart from Foxbury) are open for local visitors to access for walks. We ask all visitors to follow guidance on social distancing to keep everyone safe.

A colourful mosaic of blooming heather and gorse, braided wetlands and ancient woodland pasture

More about this place

Visitors walking through a garden in spring

Visiting this spring 

Our gardens, parks and countryside sites are open. Cafés are takeaway only and shops, houses and other indoor areas are currently closed. The safety of our staff, volunteers and visitors from the nearby community remains our priority. We strongly advise booking your visits in advance, especially over Easter when places may be very busy. Please note that in line with Welsh Government legislation, places in Wales are only open for Welsh residents. Please check the property webpage before you visit and follow government guidance on travel.

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New Forest Northern Commons

Things to see and do

Rockford and Ibsley commons in winter

Winter walks in the New Forest 

In line with government guidance, our New Forest Northern Commons are open for local visitors to access for walks. 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.

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New Forest Northern Commons

Our work

Panoramic shot of New Forest lowland heath in winter frost with scots pine

Protecting rare New Forest lowland heaths 

Our very rare, but wildlife-rich New Forest heaths are not a natural phenomenon. In fact, if we didn’t manage them they’d soon become woodland. Find out how we protect this ancient and wild landscape in winter.

A ranger carrying out vital conservation work in the New Forest, Hampshire

See what we've been getting up to 

Our rangers in south west Hampshire look after over 5,000 acres of countryside across the New Forest, Mottisfont estate, Stockbridge Down and Curbridge Nature Reserve. Take a look at our latest newsletter to see how we’ve been caring for these special places, and find out more about the work we do throughout the year that maintains this land for everyone to enjoy.

Volunteers planting trees at Foxbury, New Forest, Hampshire

We've planted thousands of trees 

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.

Horses grazing on the heathland in the New Forest

Why we cut down some trees in the New Forest 

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.

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New Forest Northern Commons

History

Horses galloping across Foxbury in the New Forest, Hampshire

The history of the New Forest 

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

Gorse and cattle in Foxbury in the New Forest, Hampshire

The tradition of commoning in the New Forest 

Find out about the tradition of commoning in the New Forest

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