68. The New Forest

We caught the train from Bournemouth for a day at Brockenhurst in the New Forest. The New Forest, which is a National Park, includes the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and old-growth forest in southeast England.

The New Forest was created as a royal forest around 1080 by William the Conqueror for the hunting of (mainly) deer. It was first recorded as "Nova Foresta" in the Domesday Book in 1086. Two of William's sons died in the forest, Prince Richard in 1081 and William Rufus in 1100.

More about the New Forest, common rights, use of trees for shipbuilding, especially in Tudor times, see the Wikipedia entry.

Below: Polly, Seamus, Ben, Richard, Piero, Colette, Lizzie and Paul
Below: Ben, Lizzie, Seamus, Piero, Colette, Sally and Paul
Below: New Forest ponies. A breed native to the New Forest

Below: The ford at Brockenhurst, on Brookley Road.
Below: The beer garden of the Rose and Crown pub; Ben and Seamus lost in the Sunday Mail!
Below: The Rose and Crown