The New Forest is a major tourist area and National Park southwest of London, close to the south coast. It is an ideal destination for day visits and weekends.

Hotels in Lyndhurst

The New Forest is actually not a forest, its is more a patchwork of areas of open heath and grasslands, intermixed with forested areas. It is spread over 377 sq km (145 sq mi) and covers south-west Hampshire and extends into south-east Wiltsire. Brockenhurst, one of the small towns in the New Forest, has a station on the mainline railway from London, which is served by at least one fast train every hour. The main line runs from London Waterloo station and the journey takes about 1½ hours.

People go to New Forest to see the landscapes, the fauna and flora, and for family relaxation. Ponies, cattle and pigs still roam across the forest, sharing it with several species of wild deer and leading to a very special flora and fauna by their grazing. The ponies especially have become a symbol of the forest, and the New Forest Pony is a recognised breed. The breed is is valued for its hardiness, strength and sureness of foot. It is among the most approachable of all native British pony breeds, but they are wild and best left alone. Remember never to get between a mother and her foal as they will kick out.

New Forest villages retain a special character. Lyndhurst is the largest village within the New Forest and is often called "Capital of the New Forest". It is a popular tourist location with many shops, cafés, pubs and hotels. Lyndhurst is also home to the New Forest Museum. The nearest city is Southampton located about 14 km (9 mi) to the northeast. Although Lyndhurst does not have a railway station on the mainline from London, it is only 6 km (4 mi) from Brockenhurst and 5 km (3 mi) from Ashurst.

New Forest accommodation is readily available, with countless high quality hotels, guest houses and B&Bs to choose from. Also there are numerous camp sites for those who prefer to stay under canvas.