The New Forest - A brief history

The New Forest is the newest National Park, and despite its name is neither new nor indeed a forest. In all it extends to approximately 145 square miles extending from Lymington in the south, right up to Landford in the north on the Hampshire/Wiltshire border.

Originally the area was dense woodland, but this was slowly cleared during the bronze and iron ages. During Roman occupation the principal industry was pottery, but when the Romans left there was little significant development until King William declared the area a royal hunting ground in 1079.

It was in the Forest that King William's son Rufus was accidentally killed in 1100 by an arrow whilst hunting. Today a stone (Rufus Stone) marks the position where he died just outside the village of Minstead. Following his death the locals who had not been allowed to use the forest for some time were permitted limited use, but nothing was formally agreed until The New Forest Act was passed in Parliament in 1877. The Act protected the old woodlands allowing only the Commoners to take wood for fuel, whilst The Court of Verderers was empowered to employ staff and collect a marking fee for each head of Commoners' stock that roamed the forest.

Today, all the ponies and other stock that we see are owned by the five hundred or so commoners who have the right to use the resources of the unenclosed land. Ponies and cattle form the majority of the grazing stock although there are also small numbers of donkeys, sheep and pigs. The Verderers still regulate commoning and some aspects of forest development. In all there are ten Verderers and they employ a team of Agisters who monitor the health and welfare of the Commoners' stock.

The wild deer that we see are managed by the Forestry Commission keepers who keep their numbers to a sustainable level. There are five native species including fallow, roe, red, sika and muntjac. The Forestry Commission also manages the cutting and controlled burning as well as the conservation and timber production within the inclosures.

For further information on the New Forest please visit:
http://www.newforest.demon.co.uk/
http://www.thenewforest.co.uk/